What the Rain Washed Away
by Chillhopsenpai
Summary: Kirito is a private eye who has seen it all and come out grimacing. Asuna is the captain of the city's police force. The two are brought together when a case comes across Asuna's desk that Kirito's been searching for answers for years with no luck. The two are thrown into danger headfirst as they scramble to figure out the culprit behind a grisly string of crimes.
1. Chapter 1

Kazuto sat at the bar, a shadow under the amber lights of the Lucky Dice Café. He took a long pull from his cigarette, letting the smoke sear his lungs before exhaling through his nose, twin jets of smoke adding to the cloud of noxious fog that hung in the bar like a bat suspended from the ceiling. Agil, the bartender and owner, diverted his attention from the glass he was polishing as Kazuto ground the butt of his cigarette into a nearby ashtray and proceed to rap his knuckles on the polished mahogany. A glass slid down the length of the bar and found its way into Kazuto's hand. Ice cubes clicked like castanets as he fired back the strong liquor and shook his head as the drink burned a line down his throat.

A quiet murmur filled the bar as the few scattered patrons chit-chatted among themselves while a jazz band played a sultry slow rhythm from the corner stage. Agil looked over at Kazuto again and made his way over to where the raven-haired man sat. Agil leaned over the bar next to Kazuto, making it look like he was simply surveying his establishment.

"Another one, huh?" Agil murmured, hardly moving his mouth.

"Yeah," Kazuto said to his glass. "Third time this month." The corners of Agil's mouth turned up.

"That a fact? Sounds to me like APD is getting awfully chummy with their new consultant." Kazuto shot a glare at Agil out of the corner of his eye. The big black man pretended not to notice.

"I prefer working on cases myself."

Agil snorted. "Just like everything else you do. You need to get out more."

"I am out," Kazuto retorted. "I'm here, aren't I?"

"Working on a case. Any other time you're down here, it's because you're about to pass out from staying cooped up in that office too long." Kazuto finished his drink and set it down hard on the bar.

"You're not my mother Agil, back off," he snarled. Agil slowly stood up and coolly took the empty glass from in front of Kazuto and refilled it.

"I am, however," Agil murmured. "Your friend. I'm just worried about you."

Whatever comeback Kazuto was about to shoot off was cut short by the bell over the front door ringing as someone came inside. Out of the corner of his eye, Kazuto saw a figure in a long red coat take a seat at the bar next to him as he glowered into his drink. Agil addressed the figure with a smile and a polite nod.

"Good evening, Captain. Can I get you something to drink?"

"Manhattan, on the rocks, two cherries," a tired female voice answered. Agil gave a curt nod as he reached one hand under the bar to grab a glass while the other picked up a bottle of sweet vermouth, flipping the container with absent-minded practice.

Kazuto turned to the figure next to him and nodded an acknowledgement to its existence. "A pleasure as always, Captain Yuuki." Asuna Yuuki, captain of the Aincrad Police Department, looked over at him with a small chastising smile.

"Come on, Kirito. You don't need to be so formal. We went through basic training together after all, and we've been working together almost this whole month now. You can call me Asuna."

"If you say so… Asuna."

"Hold on, you're friends with Kirito too?" Agil asked as he handed Asuna her drink. Asuna smiled over the rim of her glass as she took a sip.

"I guess you could call us that. Most people would," she answered, shooting a coy smile and a sidelong look to the man next to her. Kazuto grunted and swirled his drink.

"I don't have any friends," he muttered sullenly. Asuna and Agil rolled their eyes and looked at each other knowingly.

"So what's the reason behind yet another outside call to an independent agency, Captain?" Agil asked. "Kirito's been so busy he's hardly had time to come in here and sulk in his drink."

Asuna smiled apologetically and shifted on her barstool so her coat opened to show her white APD uniform and silver cross-shaped badge. "Sorry, but that's-"

Agil cut her off with a dismissive wave of a large hand as he turned away and walked further down the bar. "Official APD business, yeah, yeah. Should've known when the other one wouldn't tell me even after he was full as a boot."

Asuna raised her glass in a good-natured salute as the bartender retreated from earshot.

"Full as a boot, huh?" Asuna asked Kazuto as soon as nobody could overhear them. Kazuto pointedly finished his drink and set the glass down on the polished bartop with an audible _thunk._ "You're still searching, aren't you?"

"So why did you call me?" Kazuto asked stiffly. "Another robbery? Missing person?"

Asuna's eyes lay heavy on him for a silent moment before she turned back to her drink and took a long sip before answering.

"I wish that was all it was," she muttered darkly.

"Well what is it?" Kazuto repeated, tension starting to make his gut writhe.

The captain was well known in the city for her ironclad confidence and ice cold calm under all kinds of pressure. Seeing her so beaten down made Kazuto's danger sense start to buzz like a beehive at the back of his skull.

Asuna finished her drink and dug some loose bills out of her coat pocket, placing them gently under the glass on top of the bar.

"Come on," she said as she shrugged her coat tighter around her on her way towards the door. "I'll show you."

The rain came down in a thin dreary mist as Kazuto rode along in Asuna's cruiser. The police scanner remained fairly quiet as they drove, the silence only being broken by idle chatter of officers updating their positions. Streetlights flickered to life as the overcast sky began to darken, each being haloed by the nonstop precipitation.

Asuna finally pulled the car over to a stop outside of an apartment complex on the rougher side of town. She parked next to a uniformed officer who was hailing the car from the sidewalk. She killed the engine and exited the car with Kazuto. The uniformed officer quickly fell into step on the other side of Kazuto, who watched the young man puff out his chest with poorly concealed contempt.

"It's alright, Corporal," Asuna said quietly. "He's aiding me with the investigation." The young corporal's chest deflated like a balloon.

"Forgive me Captain," he replied meekly. "I just wanted to help."

The trio finally reached the complex entrance and came to a stop. Asuna turned to the man and placed a firm hand on his shoulder, causing him to jump slightly and look up at her.

"I know, Randy," she said softly. "You're doing a great job. This one's going to be for the big kids though." She gave a nod in Kazuto's direction. "That's why I brought him. I do have something for you to do, though. Something important." The corporal, Randy apparently, perked up a bit.

"What is it, Captain?"

"I need you to stand here and stop any paparazzi that show up from coming in. Nobody without a badge comes in, got it?" Randy nodded furiously and gave Asuna a salute.

"I won't let you down, Captain?" Asuna patted him on the shoulder.

"I knew you wouldn't, Randy," she said as she turned towards Kazuto. She brushed by him as Randy took up a position in front of the entrance, spreading his feet wide. "Come on, let's go up."

"Someone should tell that kid's mother he's playing cop up past his bedtime," Kazuto commented on their way up the stairs. "How long he been on the force?"

"Today's six months out of the academy for Randy," Asuna murmured. She shook her head slowly. "Hard to believe that was me just a few years ago; bright eyed and bushy tailed. Practically itching to do the right thing."

"You still do the right things, Capitan. Overall crime rates have gone down twelve percent since your promotion." Asuna's eyes never left the stairs.

"Then if I'm doing such a great job, how could this happen?"

They finally reached their destination: an apartment door that was flanked by two more- slightly beefier- uniformed APD officers. One saw the pair approaching and wordlessly lifted the yellow caution tape that barred the doorway so that they could pass under.

The apartment was a hellscape. Blood was smeared along the walls and cheap linoleum floors. Kazuto swallowed back bile that crawled up his throat at the stench. Forensics crew members tread silently as wraiths through the wreckage of overturned furniture and splotches of blood, only making noise when the shutters of their cameras clicked.

Asuna led Kazuto further into the apartment and down a hallway where more blood adorned the walls and floors. Kazuto thought quietly to himself that all of this blood seemed to be far too much from one person. Asuna stopped in front of the door at the end of the hall where the trail of blood ended ad turned to look at him.

"This is why I called you," she murmured and opened the door. Kazuto kept his gaze on the red floor until his boots squelched on the carpet of the bedroom. Slowly, after taking a shallow breath to steady his nerves, he raised his eyes.

A man lay face up on the bed in the center of the room. Blood was everywhere. It soaked the sheets, pooling under the deadweight that occupied the bed. It covered the walls like a demented splatter paint exhibition. Kazuto stepped closer to examine the body.

The victim was young, and looked to Kazuto to be in his early twenties. His eyes had glazed over and his flesh had already begun to stiffen and turn blue. His chest was an unholy mass of stab wounds so voluminous in number that Kazuto couldn't distinguish individual entry points. The rest of his body seemed untouched: no bruises or slash marks marred his legs or his hands.

"Didn't defend himself," Kazuto noted. He heard Asuna's coat rustle as she moved to stand next to him.

"Techs said no sign of forced entry either."

"So he knew the killer?" Asuna shook her head as she pulled out a small notepad out of her pocket and passed it to him. He took it with a sidelong look and a raised eyebrow, but Asuna continued to stare at the corpse without a word. Kazuto frowned slightly and looked at the pad, which had been written on in Asuna's elegant script.

 _My forensics tech already checked the guy out. No friends, worked from home, and had all his essentials mailed to him. Name was Ryuji Sabato. We're working on figuring out his online footprint, but it's gonna take some time. We're keeping everything about this quiet. This is the third murder carried out like this in the past three months._

Kazuto's eyebrows rose at the last sentence but he remained silent as he tucked the notepad into his coat pocket.

"Seen everything you need to?" Asuna asked. Kazuto nodded.

"Yeah."

Together, they left the room and exited the apartment. Once they were alone in the stairwell, Kazuto turned to Asuna.

"This is the third time in three months that something like this has happened?"

"No," she answered tightly. "This is the third time in three months that something _exactly_ like this has happened."

"Holy shit, Asuna, You've got a serial killer loose in Aincrad."

"Thanks for the brilliant intellect, Sherlock.

"Why haven't more people been involved in this?" Kazuto asked. "There needs to be a manhunt or a task force. Hell they could bring special agents in from the Cardinal Bureau of Investigation for this!"

"Only problem with that being a state of panic in Aincrad. Plus the fact that bringing more people on makes it more of a mess of red tape and time consuming protocol where the killer could get away. Not to mention the possibility of copycat killers popping up, and a city losing its newly restored faith in it's police department." Asuna looked away from him. "Aincrad APD is supposed to be the most capable people involved in protecting this city. We can't let them down," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. Kazuto grimaced.

"Gah, this is why I work alone. I could've kicked this up to someone else." He crossed his arms over his chest. "What about witnesses? Someone had to have found these bodies."

"There haven't been any-"

"There haven't been any?!" Kauto burst out incredulously. "There have been two other murders like that shit show upstairs and nobody has seen anything?!" Asuna's hand clamped firmly over his mouth, stopping him dead in his tracks on one of the landings in the stairwell.

"First of all, keep your fucking voice down," Asuna growled as she glared daggers at him. "One of the reasons nobody's heard anything about this is because we haven't gone shouting it to the whole world. Second, the only people who know about this are me, you, the chief, and my people securing the scene, and it's gonna stay that way if you want to keep your tongue inside your mouth, got it?" Kazuto nodded slowly. "Good. Lastly, you didn't let me finish earlier. There haven't been any witnesses until this murder. My boys found the previous two bodies on their patrols and only found this one because we got a call about a burglary in the complex and caught the perp trying to duck into the apartment to try and hide." Kazuto took Asuna's hand off of his mouth.

"Sounds like you've been extremely lucky." It was Asuna's turn to grimace as they resumed their descent.

"Too lucky," she said sourly. "I got a feeling that this guy is toying with us."

"How do you mean?" Kazuto asked. The two of them finally reached the bottom of the stairwell and exited the complex back into the night. Corporal Randy still stood guard outside even though the rain had solidified into a steady downpour. The corporal turned as he heard the pair approaching.

"All clear, Captain. Nobody's come knocking to see what's been going on so far. Did have a guy drop a message off for you, though."

"A message? From whom?" Asuna asked. Kazuto rolled his eyes on reflex in response to Asuna's immaculate grammar.

Randy shrugged as he produced a white envelope from the inside of his coat. "He didn't say. I couldn't really get a good look at his face under the hood he was wearing either. Mentioned it was for your eyes only though." Kazuto immediately felt a sense of uneasiness wash over him.

"What exactly did this man say, Corporal?" Kazuto asked as Asuna opened the envelope.

"Just told me to give it to Captain Yuuki," Randy replied. "Also mumbled something before he left. Sounded like 'time is up'? I don't know if he meant to say that to me though. He was definitely an odd one."

Kazuto immediately whipped around to look up and down the street as his pulse skyrocketed.

"Kirito," Asuna said "Do you know this person? Or what this symbol is?"

As he turned to look back at the paper Asuna was holding, a gust of wind snatched it out of her hand. Randy stooped down to pick it up.

"Oh, here you are, Captain. Don't wanna lose tha-"

A shot cracked through the hiss of the falling rain ad Randy's shoulder erupted in a shower of scarlet and the corporal was thrown to the ground. Randy cried out as Kazuto instinctively dropped into a crouch and dove at Asuna's waist, knocking her down to the sidewalk as well. Staying low, he drug Randy and Asuna by the scruff of their necks to the shelter of Asuna's cruiser. Pushing his own coat aside, he drew his .44 revolver and peered over the roof of the car.

Rain poured down onto the dark street, the shadows broken by the intermittent streetlamps. Kazuto searched the inky blackness for any signs of movement, but saw nothing.

"Clear," he panted. "Shooter must've ducked right after firing." Asuna nodded an acknowledgement as she checked on Randy.

"Come on, Corporal, suck it up. Let me see what we're working with." She shucked the writhing man out of his coat. Randy sucked in a breath and groaned through clenched teeth as Asuna rolled his sleeve up to inspect the wound.

"Medium caliber, whatever it was." she announced. "It's a through and through. You got lucky it didn't hit you anywhere important." She grabbed his opposite hand and placed it over the wound. "Keep pressure on that and try your best to take slow deep breaths." Randy's face was pale, but he nodded weakly.

One of the two officers who had been stationed at the apartment burst through the front doors of the complex with his gun drawn and scanned the scene before him. He quickly holstered his weapon and met Asuna halfway as she stood the injured corporal up and braced him on her shoulder.

"See what the techs have to stabilize him while I radio for help. Anybody asks, there was a second burglar."

"Yes, Captain," the officer grunted as he helped Randy indoors. Asuna stood silently in the rain as she watched the two men enter the shelter of the building, then sighed and turned on her heel to make her way back to the cruiser. She opened the car door and picked up the radio.

"Dispatch, this is Car 10. Code 1100 on Adam 11 at King-3. Requesting medical aid. Scene is contained." The radio squawked as multiple responders tried to answer. "Dispatch only!" Asuna barked into the receiver. "All shifts that are 10-8 remain on beat." She shook her head as she released the transmission button. "God-damned rookies," she grumbled under her breath.

"Car 10, this is Dispatch. Medical is en route to your location. 10-97 expected in five minutes."

"10-4, Dispatch. 10-17 Adam 11 to nearest triage once stable."

"10-4, Captain."

"That's gonna turn some heads," Kazuto said as Asuna closed the car door. "Captain calling in an officer down and denying backup."

"I said that the scene was contained," she answered, leaning back against the car. "They know it means there are already officers on scene and it's where the burglary was called in earlier. Most of them will probably think we found a second suspect while on that call."

"Still, pretty risky for you, though," Kazuto commented as he leaned against the car next to her. "You always planned everything out at the academy. Flying by the seat of your pants undercover like this has got to be a stretch for you." He noticed the envelope and paper that Randy had dropped when he got shot and stooped to pick it up.

"It's a lot more dangerous out here than the academy," Asuna said. "A lot more goes wrong." She glanced down at Kazuto, who was still kneeling on the wet sidewalk and staring intently at the piece of paper. "Oh, that. What does it mean?"

"It means," Kazuto whispered "I'm finally going to get some answers." The symbol on the paper grinned gruesomely back up at him; a skeleton's smile that decorated an all- black rendering of a coffin. "Laughing Coffin has come out of hiding."


	2. Chapter 2

Kazuto hated the smell of hospitals. The overpowering stench of disinfectant always made him feel queasy. The uncomfortable stares of staff and passerby while he sat on the bench in the hallway didn't help either. His long black duster dripped red-stained rainwater on the tiles of the floor as he waited.

"S-sir? You're dripping blood everywhere." He looked up at the meek nurse who was hiding the majority of her face behind the clipboard she was holding in her slightly trembling hands.

"It's not mine," he murmured. The nurse flinched at the sound of his voice, but she swallowed and stood her ground.

"Well y-yours or not sir, it's a health hazard. You need to clean up," she squeaked. Kazuto squinted at her through tired eyes before looking back down at the pinkish puddle slowly pooling at his feet then sighed and stood up.

"Alright," he relented. "Where do I go?" The nurse blinked in surprise before gesturing to the nurse's station further down the hall.

"We can help you down there actually."

"Lead the way then."

The nurse's twin ponytails bobbed as she turned around and began marching her way down the hall. Kazuto quickly caught up to the shorter woman in no time, his long strides matching her pace effortlessly. When they arrived at the nurse's station, nother nurse was waiting for them with a container of disinfectant wipes, a pair of latex gloves, and a red biohazard bag. The small nurse curtly donned the gloves and took a wipe into her hand before turning to face Kazuto.

"Please hold out your arms, sir," the nurse commanded. Kazuto frowned but complied. The nurse proceeded to begin wiping down his coat, carefully placing dirty wipes into the bag her coworker had provided. Kazuto could feel her hands shaking as she cleaned Randy's blood from the worn leather.

"What's your name?" Kazuto asked. The sudden question made the nurse jump

"Ah, Silica. My name is Silica," she replied.

"Thank you for cleaning me up, Silica. My name is-"

"Oh I know who you are!" Silica piped up. She blushed as she realized her error. "I'm sorry, I'm just excited is all. You're all over the news, Mr. Kirigaya, sir." Kazuto snorted softly.

"Can't imagine why." Silica looked up at him incredulously.

"What do you mean? You caught that sexual predator that'd been terrorizing the city for months just a few weeks ago!"

"I don't know if I'd say he was a 'predator'. More like a creep with a camera."

"Still," Silica persisted "It's made a lot of women around here feel safer."

"I suppose it's worth it then," Kazuto said as he watched Silica scrub at one particularly dense patch of gore on his shoulder. She swallowed thickly and turned rather pale as she carefully placed the wipe in the bag. "How long have you been a nurse at this hospital, Silica?"

"About a month," Silica answered as she began to finish her cleanup by wiping down Kazuto's back.

"And how long do you think can stay when you're afraid of blood?" The hands on his back froze. "I'm just curious as to why someone who is afraid of blood would even take a job as a nurse."

"I want to help people…" came the meek reply over his shoulder. "I've always been good at helping people, so this is how I help."

"You know there are other ways you can help people, right? You could go to a soup kitchen, or donate to charity."

"Yeah...but I like being personal about it. Something that I can commit to. Helping people smile, even when they are in pain...I feel happy doing it."

"Even though it takes you into direct contact with your fear?" he asked softly.

"Y-yes." Kazuto shrugged as Silica finished wiping up the blood from his coat and threw the last sanitizing towel away.

"Some people would say that's stupid of you," he said noncommittally. He saw her hands ball into fists and anger creep up her spine. "I'd call it brave, though." The anger vanished.

"What? Me? Brave?" she stammered. Kazuto smiled gently as he inspected his coat to make sure no blood was still clinging to the leather. The duster was pristine and lemon fresh.

"Not all of us are called to be cops and private eyes you know. We need people to be brave enough to be nurses too." He locked eyes with Silica, who was staring at him as if he had three heads. "Thank you for helping me."

He turned and walked back to where he was sitting earlier to find Asuna waiting for him on the bench. She looked him over as she handed him a small white styrofoam cup.

"Glad you got cleaned up. You looked like some kind of psychopath just sitting there covered in blood," Asuna told him. "I took a guess on how you take your coffee." Kazuto tooked the cup from her extended hand.

"Black," he said flatly, looking into the cup.

"Just like everything else you have," Asuna smirked. Kazuto shrugged and sipped at his drink.

"Thanks."

"What'd you tell that nurse?" He glanced over at her.

"What nurse?" Asuna rolled her eyes.

"That one." She nodded down the hall towards Silica, whose shoulders were shaking as she dabbed at her eyes with a tissue while a few other nurses comforted her. Kazuto could hear her sniffles echoing down the hall. "I saw her help clean you off, then you said something and she hasn't stopped crying since."

"Something she needed to hear, I guess." He could feel Asuna staring at him. "How's Randy?" Asuna sighed through her nose and took a swig of coffee.

"Cheerful and dedicated as ever, if not more so now. Idiot tried to salute me when I walked in and nearly yanked out his IV." She shook her head. "Doctors say he should be cleared for duty in about five months if his recovery stays as it is now." She took a slender finger off of her coffee cup ad pointed it at Kazuto. "He also told me to thank you for him."

"Me? What for?"

"'Hauling me out of the line of fire and protecting my captain,'" Asuna said in her best Randy impression. He also told me he thinks you'd make a good cop." Kazuto smiled.

"I have authority issues," he said.

"That's what I told him."

The two sat in silence for a long moment as the hospital moved around them; nurses bustling between rooms and visitors coming in and out of the doors to the wing. Their movements all seemed to blur together for Kazuto. He was only sharply aware of his own existence and Asuna's presence next to him; a solid but somehow gentle anchor.

"I also, wanted to thank you," Asuna murmured. "For having my back back there. Not a lot of people would have covered me like that." Kazuto's leg began bouncing up and down a a strange flash of tense energy came over him.

"Yeah, well...don't mention it. I'm sure you would've done the same for me," he told her. "Serve and protect and all that."Asuna gave a breathless laugh.

"Yeah, yeah."

Silence enveloped them again. Time and more people passed in a blur. Eventually, Kazuto finally spoke.

"I guess it's time you knew everything." Asuna looked at him apprehensively.

"Look, Kirito, I know your past still bothers you. You don't have to tell me-" Kazuto was already shaking his head.

"This is bigger than opening old wounds now. Now we have a problem that needs action, and I'm the only one equipped well enough to prepare us for it." Asuna regarded him with those serious copper eyes again.

"Alright," she said. "What next?"

They drove back to the Lucky Dice again and climbed the stairs to Kazuto's apartment. Asuna looked around the hallway as Kazuto fished the key out of his pocket.

"Looks sturdy," she commented, taking notice of the industrial steel beams and intricate brickwork.

"Agil got the plot from the city actually," Kazuto said absentmindedly. "Used to be an auto factory. He won it at an auction when he was looking for somewhere to put his bar. Place was scheduled for demolition, so he got it for a steal. Patched up a few things, did some renovation, and next thing you know, boom, he's a landlord and a bar owner." He finally managed to find the right key on his key ring and unlocked the door, flipping the lightswitch on his way in.

Warm yellow light flooded the apartment as a lamp came to life on an end table in the main living space. The apartment was by no means luxurious, but it certainly was not shabby. A well-worn couch was set against the wall the door was on. In front of it, a rough oak coffee table sat in service. Across the room opposite from the couch sat a small TV set that was warbling out footage from some black and white romance film intercut every now and then with waves of static. To the right of the door loomed a mahogany door with a brass plaque attached to it that read _Black Cat Investigations_. Beyond the living area was the kitchenette. An overworked coffee pot gurgled on the countertop and beeped a complaint before falling silent. Kazuto strode through the room and switched the coffee pot off.

"More coffee?" he asked over his shoulder. Asuna, who was still standing by the doorway, glanced at the clock that was hanging over the TV and groaned when she saw that it was two in the morning.

"What I really need is a good night's sleep," she whined, rubbing at her face with weary hands. Kazuto chuckled as she removed her boots and coat by the door and perched herself on one end of the couch. The distressed leather smelled faintly of polish and to Asuna felt like a warm hug from an old friend. She let out a small sigh of relief as she relaxed more into the couch as Kazuto finished pouring and prepping two cups of coffee.

"No rest for the wicked," he told Asuna as he handed her a mug. He flopped down on the other end of the couch and chugged his coffee. Asuna sipped from her mug and her eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Where did you learn how I take my coffee?" Kazuto spluttered and choked on his drink. After a fit of coughing, he scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"It was part of your interview in the paper last month." Asuna quickly brought the cup back up to her face to hide the blush that was rising to her cheeks.

"Ah, that silly thing. I didn't think anybody still read the papers to be honest."

"Well sometimes there's stuff in there that interests me," Kazuto mumbled defensively.

The two of them sat in quiet for a bit while the TV continued to play the romance film. The protagonist of the film was telling the female lead that he loved her before going into the final scene against a villain that outclassed him by miles.

"What an idiot," she whispered to herself as she shook her head. She glanced over at Kazuto to find his dark eyes glued to the screen, a strange expression on his face. Asuna smiled. _Never marked him as a romantic_. Suddenly, the extent of the situation she was in dawned on her. Here she was, alone with a man in his apartment, late at night, curled up on his couch and watching old romance movies while sharing some coffee with him. She abruptly set her cup down on the coffee table and popped up to her feet. "We should probably get back to work," she said brusquely. Kazuto blinked up at her slowly, coming out of his reverie.

"Uh, yeah. Guess we should." He tossed back the remainder of his coffee and stood, then walked over to the big mahogany door that stood in the corner.

Asuna followed close behind him. She saw him flinch as his fingers came into contact with the big brass doorknob. She also saw his shoulders sag slightly and heard a small pained sigh escape from his mouth. He twisted the handle and pushed the door open.

"Come on in," he said softly, flipping a switch on a wall.

A banker's lamp flickered dimly to life on the desk in the center of the room. The desk was covered in massive stacks of paper, most of which were stained with coffee rings, while others were wrinkled, as if they'd been balled up and thrown then smoothed out again. An ashtray next to the lamp still smoldered as one last dying ember dutifully produced a thin ribbon of smoke amongst the ash heaps and ground out butts that littered the tray. Kazuto went over and doused the the ember with the few remaining drops of coffee that remained in the bottom of his mug. Asuna would have reprimanded him for smoking had she not been so focused on what else was in the room.

Five empty desks ran along the four walls that surrounded Kazuto's island study. Dust and stray cigarette ash lay thick on the varnished wood. Cobwebs covered the lamps that stood unused on each desk next to brass name plates. Asuna silently tread her way around the room, her footsteps muffled by the thick carpet as Kazuto rummaged through his desk, muttering to himself.

"Ducker," she murmured as she picked up and read the first brass name plate.

Behind her, Kazuto froze perfectly still as he was hunched over his desk.

She put the name plate back down where it had been and moved to the next desk. "Sasumaru." Again she moved. "Tetsuo." Again.

The wood of Kazuto's desk creaked a complaint as his hands clenched.

"Keita." Asuna moved to the last desk. The only difference from the others was a small picture frame that was obscured by dust. She gingerly picked up the frame and brushed the viewing window clean with the back of her hand.

The picture revealed six people sitting in the same office she was standing in. Four people filled the desks that now stood vacant. Two brown-haired men were toasting in the back of the picture. A tall, lean redheaded man looked to be reprimanding them good-naturedly, shaking a stack of manilla folders in their direction. A blonde man in a knit hat dozed contentedly on his desk, drool forming a small puddle on the desktop. Kazuto sat in the center of the frame at his desk, looking up at the camera with an unflattering confused expression. Lastly, a woman with blue hair and eyes grinned at the bottom of the frame, only half of her body visible as the edges of the photo cropped the rest of her out.

Asuna carefully replaced the picture frame and ran her eyes over the last name plate. "Sachi." She jumped as Kazuto's mug shattered against a wall. She whirled around to face him only to find his back to her on the opposite side of the room, his shoulders shaking with effort as he tried to breathe without shuddering. "Kirito! I'm sorry, I-"

"Shut up," he rasped, voice hoarse with emotion. "Just shut up for a second."

Asuna opened her mouth to apologize again, but quickly clamped it shut. She watched him bow his head and take several deep breaths through his nose. Each time he exhaled, the shakiness lessened until he stood as still as a statue. They stood rooted in place like that for several moments sa the rain came down outside, whispering against the window panes of the next room.

"How much do you know?" Kazuto whispered. Asuna swallowed hard.

"I was on assignment in Glocken when it happened, so I didn't get all of the details. Just that you lost…" she cast her eyes around the dark, desolate room. "Everyone." She saw Kazuto nod slowly in the dim light of the lamp on the desk.

"Yeah. Everyone." He lifted his head to turn and look at Ducker's desk. "Ducker had been working on a string of missing persons cases. Always came up empty." His eyes flickered over to the next desk. "Sasumaru felt bad for the guy, so he looked at the case files with new eyes. Spotted some similarities." He turned his head again to look at the other desks. "Tetsuo cross referenced what they found against a city map and the physical descriptions of the missing persons with some Does at the morgue." He clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles popped. "Exact matches. All of the locations that they were last seen at and where the bodies were found made a pattern."

Asuna glanced at a bulletin board that hung over one of the desks. Pins and red strings of yarn connected over a map of Aincrad to form a crude but unmistakable shape. "A coffin," she whispered.

"It was one point away from being completed," Kazuto continued. "The guys were chomping at the bit to go where the last point would appear. Thought they might catch the perp in the act." He shook his head. "I was skeptical. But… Sachi said she wanted to go too. They'd made their minds up."

"What about Keita?" Asuna asked.

"He was looking at getting us a larger office space in Alfheim at the time. The rest of the team didn't want to wait. So… we didn't."

The wind outside picked up, moaning eerily in the alleyway. Kazuto finally turned to face Asuna. The weak green light of the lamp made him look unnaturally pale. When she looked into his eyes, she thought they looked like abandoned coal mines: dark, hollow, and devoid of life.

"It was a trap," he whispered, voice still hoarse. "Map led us down an alleyway. All there was at the far end was some poor son of a bitch with his face frozen in this demented smile with a knife sticking out of his chest. There was a note tied to the handle."

"What did it say?" Kazuto's eyes shifted a fraction of an inch away from Asuna's and to her it looked like he was staring at something a million miles away.

"Time's up." Thunder rumbled outside. Kazuto looked back into Asuna's eyes. "Ducker went to take the knife out, and that's when it happened."

"What?" Asuna whispered breathlessly. "What happened?" Kazuto shook his head slowly and closed his eyes as his shoulders sagged.

"Bomb," he finally said. "The body was a damn bomb, and I knew something was wrong the second we saw it." He took another shaky breath and continued on. "The explosion knocked me out when it threw me against a wall. When I came to…" Tears began to silently slide down his cheeks. "Ducker had been ripped apart by the blast. Sasumaru's neck broke when he got thrown against a dumpster. Tetsuo caught some shrapnel in the leg. Nicked the artery. Bled out in minutes. But Sachi.." He clenched his jaw so hard Asuna could hear his teeth grind. "She managed to turn away from the blast since we were near the mouth of the alley...which meant she didn't see the fucking knife coming at her at a hundred miles an hour." He choked back a sob. "I woke up in time to see her die. Blade caught her in the spine so she couldn't move from the neck down. I opened my eyes and all I could see was her turning her head to smile at me. Do you know what her last words were?" He laughed mirthlessly. "Thank you! She thanked me and then died like a dog in an alley! How fucked is that?"

"Kirito…" Asuna said, taking a half step towards him, her hand reaching out.

"That's not even the worst part!" Kazuto shouted. "I was lying in a hospital bed after watching my all of my friends die and Keita comes in!" He turned away from Asuna again, his voice dropping to a whisper again. "No, the worst part is when Keita looked me in the eyes and told me it was my fault. And he was right." The tension dropped out of Kazuto's stance. "He jumped off the bridge by the lake. Left a note saying he had no reason to go on, the usual stuff." He shook his head slowly again. "All gone," he murmured. "And all because of me." He stumbled forward as Asuna ran across the space between them and crushed him in a bear hug from behind. "Asuna? What-"

"Just shut up for a second and let me talk," she said quietly, her voice muffled by his duster. "It wasn't your fault. You were just doing your job. The others knew the risks when they signed up." Kazuto was quiet for a moment.

"Doesn't change the fact they're gone."

"No," she went on "It doesn't. What we can change, though, is the fact that we can bring the people responsible to justice. That we can make tomorrow better." Asuna squeezed him hard enough to make his ribs hurt. "You don't have to live alone in this hurt anymore." Kazuto slowly lifted his eyes and looked around the room for what felt like the first time in a very, very long time.

"Not alone anymore," he repeated, his voice hollow. He stood silent for another reflective moment. "Kind of sounds nice, I guess." He heard Asuna breathe a sigh of relief and felt her arms release him. His hand twitched in a second of indecision before flickering out and grabbing her wrist. "Hold it." He spun around and snaked his arms around her waist and embraced her, resting his chin on her shoulder.

Asuna jolted in surprise and after a moment of hesitation, wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the embrace tightly.

Kazuto took her presence in like a sponge. Despite the chill of the night outside, she was warm against him. Her hair was still damp from the rain and plastered along the curve of her neck. Her slender figure felt toned with shapely muscle beneath his hands. What surprised him the most however, was the sweet scent of perfume that clung to her skin. A strange tension grabbed at his heart as he breathed in the heady smell of jasmine and vanilla. For some reason he found himself unable to catch his breath. Then Asuna loosened her arms and the moment was over. The two stepped back and regarded each other with uncertain eyes.

"Thanks," he said, finally. "For that." Her bronze eyes searched his face for the span of a few heartbeats.

"You would have done the same for me," she answered softly. Kazuto felt his face heat up as he stepped to the side and skirted around her to reach the stack of papers he'd been assembling on the desk and sorted through them noisily. He cleared his throat.

"It's late," he said gruffly. "We're practically useless like this." Asuna gave a tired chuckle.

"You're so right. I should be going."

"Let me walk you out." She smiled quietly as they walked to the front door.

"And they say that chivalry is dead." He snorted as she donned her boots and coat.

"Oh yeah, you know I know how to show a lady a good time. Take them back to my place, give them some crummy coffee, have a breakdown, then kick them out. My mother raised me right.." The self-deprecating dig drew a genuine giggle out of Asuna as they walked down the stairs and out to her cruiser. The insufferable rain still hadn't let up, forcing them to hurry to the car. Kazuto pulled his duster up over his head as Asuna got in the car. She fired up the engine and rolled down the window.

"Thanks again for the coffee," she said, looking up at him. "And for helping with the case. I know it's a lot for you." He shook his head.

"No, thank you. I have a chance to get some closure, not to mention justice for my friends." She looked down and nodded to herself. "Drive safe alright? The roads are terrible." She glanced up at him and favored him with another small smile.

"Will do. You get some rest. You look like hell."

"You always know what to say to make me feel better, huh?" Asuna raised an eyebrow.

"When did you grow a sense of humor?" Kazuto gave her a sly grin.

"Oh, probably around the same time you decided to start wearing perfume." Her delicate lips separated as her jaw dropped and her eyes widened.

"It was a gift!" she blurted out. She turned and fiddled with the AC knobs on her dash, then shifted the car into reverse. "I really do need to get back. My friend is crashing at my place while her apartment is being renovated, and she'll start to worry. She's probably already worried as it is. I'll see you tomorrow. I mean, I have to stop by the station first and report into the chief. About the case. Anyway, see you tomorrow." She rolled the window up and began to back out of her parking space, but stopped, then cracked her window. Her voice was just barely audible over the pitter-patter of the rain and the throaty rumble of the engine. "You sure you're okay with this? There's no going back starting tomorrow." He sighed through is nose.

""Yeah. No matter what, it'll be worth it." Her knuckles creaked on the leather of the steering wheel as she stared ahead. She nodded again.

"Goodnight then."

"Goodnight, Asuna." She rolled up the window, backed out of her spot and sped down the street into the night. Kazuto stood on the sidewalk hunched under his coat and watched her go. "Maybe in more ways than one."


	3. Chapter 3

Asuna pulled into the driveway of her small townhome and cut the engine. She sat in the silence that the purring engine had left, listening to the motor click sporadically as it spun down while the rain hammered on the roof of the car. She stared at her hands, still clutching the steering wheel and recalled the sensation of embracing Kazuto. Despite his lanky build, she had been surprised at how substantial he felt. Even through the thick leather of his duster, she could feel rigid skeins of whipcord-like muscle that clung to his lean frame. A part of her began to wonder what he might look like without a shirt, but she shook her head violently and got out of the car before her brain could take her down any similar rabbit holes. She hustled up the walk, unlocked the front door and stepped inside. She let out a small sigh of relief as she locked the door behind her and hung her coat on the nearby hook.

Footsteps pounded on the hardwood floors behind her and she turned around in time to be crushed in a rib-breaking hug.

"Asuna! There you are!" Asuna grunted and rolled her eyes as she pried her friend off of her.

"Yeah, Liz. I'm back. You can let go now." The over-affectionate offender, Lisbeth, reluctantly released Asuna, but stared at her suspiciously.

"You're home three hours late, and you smell like-" Lisbeth leaned in close to Asuna. "-Leather… coffee….-" Her nose wrinkled. "- And cigarettes?! What have you been up to?" Asuna shouldered Lisbeth aside as she marched further into the house to her bedroom.

A soft white bulb sprang to life as she entered and began to unbutton her uniform. The room was done gentle pastels and whites. Her bed occupied the central space and a spartan white desk stood in the corner next to her closet. She folded up her uniform shirt and pants and hung them back up in the closet, taking care not to wrinkle the material. She crossed over to her dresser and donned a loose fitting pair of sweatpants as Lisbeth peeked her head into the room.

"You didn't answer my question," Lisbeth told her reproachfully. Asuna glared at her as she unhooked her bra beneath her tank top and tossed the article in a nearby hamper.

"If you must know, I was working a case when one of my men got shot." Lisbeth's eyebrows furrowed together.

"He make it out alright?" Asuna huffed out a sigh and sat down at the edge of the bed.

"Yeah, he's fine." Lisbeth padded into the room and flopped down in the swivel chair in front of the desk.

"I'm surprised someone was able to get the drop on you guys with Sinon there." Asuna grimaced.

"Actually, Sinon wasn't there this time. She's doing some marksmanship competition over in Glocken."

"The chief put you on assignment without a partner?" Asuna snorted.

"You know he'd never do that."

"Who'd he stick you with then?" Asuna's gaze slowly drifted to the floor.

"He actually gave me my pick of whomever I wanted, since I'm working a special case and all." Lisbeth leaned forward, propping her arm on the chair as she rested her chin on her palm.

"So who'd you pick?" Asuna's shoulder slumped in defeat.

"Kazuto Kirigaya." Lisbeth's jaw dropped open.

"The Shadow?!"

"The one and only." Lisbeth squealed and kicked her legs.

"You have to tell me what he's like! He didn't talk much when he came into the shop-"

"Hold on," Asuna interjected. "He came into your shop?" Lisbeth waved a hand dismissively.

"Wanted some custom work done on his revolver. Who still uses one of those anyway? But that's besides the point. Is he really intense as everyone says?" Asuna's mind drifted back to the events outside of the apartments and in Kirito's office.

"He can be," she replied quietly. "He is refreshingly blunt, as well. Doesn't care that I'm captain of APD, or that my father is some big business tycoon. To him, I'm just...me."

"Wow, never would've guessed all of that just looking at the guy," Lisbeth said. "Wearing all black makes him spooky enough, but how quiet he is really is unsettling. And don't even get me started on those eyes!" She shuddered in her chair. "He's definitely seen some scary stuff." Asuna's mind flashed to the image of Kazuto's eyes in that pale green light.

"Yeah," she agreed. "He really has."

"I'd love to see him in action though," Lisbeth went on. "You always see the guys he hauls off the street scared stiff in their mugshots. I wonder what he does to terrify some of those hardened ex-cons so bad."

"It's the way he fights," Asuna said quietly. "It's violent. Vulgar, even. So fast that if you blink, you can miss it. And yet, it's poetry." Lisbeth drew her knees up to her chin.

"No way, seriously?" Asuna nodded solemnly.

"I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Even when I did, I remember being blown away."

"When was that? The first time you saw him fight?"

"A long time ago, back in training at the academy…"

"Alright, cadets! Listen up!" Major Heathcliffe's pointer rapped hard against the blackboard at the front of the classroom. "Today's lesson will deal with teamwork and tactics. You will all be assigned a partner to take on a random tactical situation and will be assessed on your physical ability, reflexes, teamwork, and effectiveness in resolving your situations."

Asuna's eyes scanned the classroom as the other cadets murmured amongst themselves while Heathcliffe read out who was being paired up with whom. She had already begun weighing the pros and cons of each of her classmates when the major threw her a curveball.

"Cadet Yuuki and Cadet Kirigaya."

Her eyes widened, then flickered over to the back of the classroom to the young raven-haired man sitting by the window. He evenly met her eyes without flinching. She spun back around to face the front as Major Heathcliffe began to wrap up.

"You and your partners will be contacted with your situation and location. Examinations begin at 1200 hours. Dismissed."

Asuna rose from her desk and turned around to march over to Kazuto to already to already find it empty. She stomped her foot in frustration.

"Looks like you're in for an interesting time," a voice told commented from beside her. Asuna glanced over to find Sinon standing there, arms folded over her chest as she stared out the door alongside her.

"What do you mean?" Sinon looked at her sideways.

"Kirigaya, obviously. The guy's a wild card." Asuna's eyebrows scrunched together.

"How do you mean?"

"Nobody's really gotten a read on the guy. All the teamwork-optional assignments he's done solo. Doesn't really associate with anyone in the academy either. Spends most of his time in the gym and at the range."

"What's his piece?"

"Favors the .44."

"Huh," Asuna grunted. "Big gun." Sinon gave her a wicked little grin.

"Think he's overcompensating?"

"Not likely, otherwise he'd be slinging one of those .45's with the 14 clip magazines like half of the neanderthals around here." Sinon yielded with a nod.

"True."

"He's always scored pretty high on the written exams," Asuna continued as the two of them exited the classroom and made their way back to the barracks.

"Not as well as you though."

"Written exams aren't difficult, you just need to pay attention. He a decent shot?" Sinon shrugged.

"His grouping is good from what I've seen when we've been firing at the same time."

"I just wish I had more of an idea of the guy's personality," Asuna grumbled. "I need to know what to expect out of him if I'm supposed to make a plan."

"What's your situation anyway?" Sinon asked as they entered their bunkroom. Asuna noticed a sealed envelope addressed to her lying on her pillow and quickly ripped it open, scanning her eyes of its contents.

"Active bomb defusal and retrieval in a hostile controlled area," she announced. Sinon's eyebrows rose.

"Talk about a shit show."

"No kidding,"Asuna said. "Not only will we have to worry about hostiles, but we also will have to deal with that bomb."

"What's your location?" Asuna eyes scanned further down the document.

"Warehouse A." Sinon gave a low whistle.

"And close quarters to boot. Feels like the major is really testing two of you." Asuna pursed her lips and looked out the window in the direction of the warehouse.

"Well then, let's give him a show."

Asuna stood in the summer sun outside of the warehouse, checking her watch irritably. Her gray and red combat fatigues chafed her skin in the heat and bugs buzzed around her head.

"Come on, already. Where are you?" Finally, she saw a dark figure make its way out from under the shade of the trees that flanked the walkway.

Kazuto walked up next to her and stared up at the warehouse. "So, what's the plan?"

"You're late," Asuna told him sharply. His eyebrows furrowed slightly in annoyance.

"Actually, I'm on time. Hopefully whatever you've got cooked up doesn't rely too heavily on timing, because apparently that is not your forté."

Asuna felt herself flush and opened her mouth to set him straight when she was interrupted by a golf cart trundling its way up the path and whipping around to a stop in front of them.

"Cadets!" Major Heathcliffe's voice boomed as he dismounted to the cart. Asuna and Kazuto quickly snapped to attention. "At ease," Heathcliffe ordered. "And catch." He flung something at each of them. Kazuto caught the object with a grunt and Asuna's eyebrows rose as she recognized her .38 Special in its holster belt.

"Major? Are we using live rounds?" she asked, voice tinged with concern. Heathcliffe tilted his head back and gave a hearty laugh.

"As much as it would simplify dealing with some of your more…..challenging peers, no." He flourished a small silver tube that ended in a short plume of red feathers. "Special darts that have been modified to fire from each of your weapons with as much realistic recoil as our ballistics techs could muster. You'll find your "hostiles" similarly armed. Depending on where they hit you could be incapacitated in a matter of seconds. If both of you become incapacitated, you fail. If you do not complete the objective in time, you fail. Any questions?"

"Anything goes?" Kazuto's voice called out. Heathcliffe's steel grey eyes glinted like gunbarrels.

"This is a hostile held building, Cadet Kirigaya. Take every advantage you can." With that, the major turned got back on his cart and sped away. Asuna and Kazuto turned to face each other.

"So," Kazuto repeated. "What's your plan?" Asuna huffed through her nose as she strapped her holster on.

"Intelligence reports provided with our situation debriefing say that the bomb is most likely at the center of their defenses. I'll go left after we go in and come at them from the side. You go right and flank them." Kazuto nodded slowly.

"Makes sense, but what if something goes wrong?" She shook her head.

"Statistically, highly improbable. Between us having the intel we do, and our skill levels, we should be able to handle anything that comes our way." Kazuto still looked unconvinced.

In the distance an air horn sounded, frightening a few crows from their perches. They cawed indignantly while they flapped off into the distance.

"Time to start," Asuna said. Together, the pair entered the access door and dove into the shadows of the warehouse.

Inside, it was cool and dark, the blackness resisted by a few defiant lights that cast rough pools beneath them. Asuna and Kazuto found themselves looking at a maze of shipping containers. Asuna grimaced.

"This is going to take more time to navigate through. You'll need to watch your corners," she turned to tell Kazuto, only to find him scrambling up the side of a container and looking around, surveying the terrain. Asuna shivered as she realized she hadn't heard him move even though he'd been standing right next to her.

"There's still a fairly straightforward path around, but I can see a few hostiles patrolling. Looks like they're wearing helmets and protective vests," he whispered down. "You're gonna have to aim for exposed areas." Asuna nodded curtly.

"I'll meet you at the center. Don't make us look bad." Kazuto's eyebrow quirked up, but he said nothing before melting into the shadows.

Asuna exhaled and drew her .38, keeping it held low and steady as she padded forward. Peeking around the corner of a container, she saw one hostile making his way down an aisle of containers, his back turned toward her. From where she was, she could see the man wore a full-faced helmet with mirrored glass obscuring his face all the way down to his chin, as well as a black tactical vest that bulged with the weight of protective ceramic plates along his chest and back. She took a breath to steady herself, then rounded the corner and aimed down her sights at the man's exposed neck and squeezed the trigger. The dart exited the barrel with a loud _thok!_ and buried itself in the pale flesh of the man's neck. He let out a strangled gurgle as he reached up to try and pluck it out before finally collapsing on the ground. Asuna kept her gun trained on him as she warily approached, then bent down to check his pulse. She released a pent-up sigh as she found a slow but steady pulse. Readying her weapon again, she pressed on, deeper and deeper into the warehouse, picking off individual hostiles who crossed her path until at last she came to the center.

Dread roiled around in her stomach as she scanned the area. Four openings between the containers dumped out into a square courtyard. Two guards flanked a raised dais that held the bomb in the center of the space. Her pulse spiked as she saw that they looked to be wielding automatic eyes continued to roam the area. She noticed that snipers patrolled makeshift parapets crafted from containers stacked two and three high around the courtyard. A handful more soldiers seemed to be engrossed in some kind of card game off to one side of the area and all of them had pistols within easy reach.

 _This is a suicide mission_ , Asuna thought to herself. _A full squad would be hard pressed to go against this kind of firepower_. She scanned the area again. _No sign of Kirigaya_. Irritation creased her brow. _Jerk's probably drooling in his sleep somewhere around here by now._ _Looks like it's up to me._ She flexed her legs beneath her. _I'm gonna have to duck behind those crates on the left, out of line sight of those machine guys. Those guys at the table would probably end up taking too long on the draw, I could put a few of them down before they' get set up, and by then I'd already be gone down the south corridor. That just leaves…_ Her eyes flickered up to the second row of containers. _Wait- weren't there snipers up there just a second ago?_

Suddenly, a man's scream rang out from the corridor off to her right, then fell silent. All of the men on the floor froze in place. The warehouse became pin-drop silent. Asuna heard the metallic clicks of safeties coming off as men at the table readied their pistols. A malevolent chuckle echoed in the shadows of the warehouse that made her hackles rise.

"Kirigaya….?" she whispered.

"A helmet crashed down in the center of the card even as far away as she was, Asuna could see the visor spiderwebbed with cracks.

"I call," Kazuto's voiced rang out. "Showdown time, boys." A shadow dropped down out of the rafters like a bolt of lighting and smashed down onto the table, sending cards, men, and chips flying as the legs of the table splintered in a dull roar. Coming to his feet, Kazuto hefted his revolver and fired off six shots into the circle of men surrounding him in a matter of seconds, the darts flying from the gun with a muffled _wham!_ as the hammer the came forward. His gun clicked empty and he bellowed like a beast gone mad and whipped the butt of his pistol into the temple of the nearest enemy and dropped the man cold.

Asuna's jaw dropped as she watched in awe. _He's an absolute madman!_

The hostiles had managed to gather themselves after the initial shock, but it didn't help much. Two of the remaining four card players abandoned scrambling after their weapons and charged Kazuto with their fists raised. He welcomed their advance by holstering his weapon and dropping into a boxer's stance. As he did, the guards standing by the bomb opened up with their machine guns. He stepped forward to meet the rush, narrowly avoiding being riddled with a salvo of darts. The first foe swung a wild hook at him and he stepped inside the blow, then devastated the man's midsection with a series of short jabs that shattered the plates in the man's vest. The man doubled over in pain and Kazuto whirled around to deliver a savage roundhouse kick that collapsed the poor sap's kneecap. As he followed through, his eyes immediately locked on to Asuna in her hiding spot. Beneath a layer of bravado and concentration, she could see the urgency in his eyes.

 _Go!_ He was telling her, _While they're distracted!_

Asuna sprang into action, her longs legs eating up the distance between her and the bomb. One of the heavily armed guards spotted her advancing and turned to gun her down but didn't get far as Asuna lifted her pistol and fired off three precise shots that brought the brute down in a heap, the sound of her shots swallowed up in the din of the chaos to her right. She heard the _wham! wham!_ of Kazuto's revolver again. She dropped to a slide and snatched the bomb off the dais, ducking behind the pedestal as she inspected the device.

A small stopwatch ticked atop a bundle of "dynamite" and multicolored wire, a blinking red light indicating the explosive was still armed. Without hesitation, Asuna whipped out her penknife and severed the red and blue wires.

"Typical Type 2 arrangement," she snorted as the light blinked green. "Amateur setup." She turned her ear up as she clipped the device onto her belt and listened carefully. The sound of combat seemed to have died down somewhat. She slapped a fresh magazine into her gun and came out of cover.

Kazuto was still squaring off against a few last men. Easily a dozen men lay crumpled on the floor, some sporting thick darts in the chinks of their armor, others wearing bruises that were already purpling into ugly messes. Kazuto was not untouched however. His own face sported several bruises, blood poured out of a broken nose, and his right eye was black and swollen nearly shut. Despite his injuries, however, he still moved as lithe as a panther. Yet as Asuna moved around the boxes, she could tell he wouldn't hold out much longer.. His breath came in ragged gasps and his reactions, while still fast, were not as blindingly quick as they had been.

One of the remaining enemies feinted an uppercut, then swept Kazuto's legs out from under him, sending him sprawling to the floor. The other two men rushed in, eager to stomp and kick to their hearts' content when Asuna stepped in between them.

She looked straight into the visor of the closest enemy and emptied the entire clip of her gun into him. He fell like a dead tree as the next one pressed down on her. Slamming her pistol into its holster, she flattened her hands into spades and sent flickering strikes into the man's pressure points, making him writhe in a rigid agony. She went on mercilessly, battering him in a flurry of thrown elbows and thrust knees that drove him to the floor in a mangled mess. She stood over him and made sure he didn't get back up. She lifted her eyes to the last hostile that stood a few feet away from her, his fists shakily held up in front of him. She stared cooly into the mirrored glass of the visor as she took up a defensive stance.

"Next," she growled. The helmeted head regarded her, then tilted down to look at Kazuto, who, despite the punishment he had taken, was still getting up. The man looked back up at her, then the man turned and ran away into the maze of containers. Asuna snorted, then relaxed out of her stace and rose to her full height. She turned and offered a hand to Kazuto, who was slowly trying to bring himself to his feet as he cradled one hand against his chest.

"I had it covered," he grumbled as he took her hand.

"Oh you've definitely had it," she told him as she pulled him up. "Can you walk?" He sniffed in disdain.

"Of course." He took two steps and nearly fell over again as his knees gave out. Asuna rolled her eyes as she slid herself under Kazuto's good arm and started walking him back to the entrance.

"This is what you get for being so reckless," she told him matter-of-factly. "Jumping in the middle of them like that!" He looked at her out of the corner of his swollen eye.

"It worked, didn't it?"

"Hardly!" she snapped at him. "Look at yourself!" Kazuto spat blood on the floor.

"S'not too bad," he slurred, sagging against her more. "Shit, tranquilizers are really kicking in."

"What?" Asuna said as she came to a stop at a crossroads in the maze of crates. "What tranquilizers?"

"Pocket," he mumbled, head lolling forward. Asuna ripped open one of the velcro pouches that adorned his fatigues to find what looked like close to a dozen tranquilizer darts gleaming dully in the dim light of the warehouse.

"Holy shit," she breathed. "How the hell are you able to stand?"

"My hand? Broke it on the vest of one of the first ones. Luckily I'm ambdi-...adibe-..." he frowned. "Two handed." He looked down at his injured hand, which had several odd bulges sticking out where they shouldn't have been. "Ouch."

"Oooookay, you're slipping a bit. Not surprising seeing as how you've got enough drugs in you to put down a horse. Just stay with me, alright?"

"Okay, Yuuki." Asuna laughed out loud. She just couldn't help it.

"I'm dragging your broken, drugged ass out of a warehouse with a bomb attached to my belt. I think we're past the formalities now. You can call me Asuna."

"Okey-dokey. You can call me Kirito." She glanced at the slouching figure next to her with mild worry.

"Uh, don't you mean 'Kazuto'?" He slowly shook his head, which made him wince.

"Nope. Kirito. It's what my friends call me." Asuna turned her head to look at him as she rounded the final corner before the exit. She took in his bloodied, beaten face and body, his ruffled hair, bloodshot eyes, and dopey but still mischievous grin.

"Friends, huh?" She smiled to herself as she opened the exit door of the warehouse and sunlight washed over them. "Yeah, I think we'll be great friends."

"Wow," Lisbeth breathed. "Talk about made for each other!" Asuna felt heat rise to her face.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Lisbeth held her hands out in an exasperated gesture.

"Uh, hello? Uptight goody-two-shoes who plays it too close to the book and the rebel who takes any and all risks to get the job done?" She flopped back in her chair. "You couldn't write this any better."

"Excuse me?" Asuna demanded. "Goody-two-shoes?" Lisbeth's face went deadpan as she reached to the desk next to her and opened the top drawer, picking up a display box that had its simple black frame nearly bursting at the seams with medals and commendation bars. Asuna snatched the box out of her hand put it back in the drawer.

"I bet you brought an apple for the teacher when you were in school," Lisbeth said dryly.

"So I've won some awards, big deal," Asuna growled. "That doesn't prove anything about what you're going on about.." Lisbeth smirked and put her hands up in surrender as she rose out of the chair and went to the door.

"Maybe, maybe not. But tell me this: if you could've had anyone, absolutely anyone, to have your back out there and be your partner, why was he your first choice?"

Asuna opened her mouth to give a withering retort, but hesitated as something stirred inside her. _Why him?_

"Cat got your tongue, eh?" Lisbeth teased waggling her eyebrows at Asuna. "I'll let you sleep on it. Looks like you don't quite know yourself, either." With that, she hit the lightswitch, leaving only the orange street light filtering through the window to illuminate the bedroom. Asuna fell back on her bed and stared up at the ceiling as she shimmied under the covers. _Why do we always come back together?_

Kazuto watched the taillights of Asuna's cruiser shrink into the distance until she turned off onto another street then sighed and trudged back up to his apartment. He unlocked the door again and entered, hanging his duster to dry before flopping down on the couch. He undid his boots with a weary sigh, then leaned his head back and shut his eyes.

"Shit," he mumbled to himself. "Forgot to add the autopsy reports to my notes for Asuna." Hefting himself up, he crossed the apartment and opened the office door. He moved over to the desk, then plopped down into his creaky chair as he began looking for reports.

A gentle rap at the door made his brow furrow. _Agil should be at home with his wife by now, not babying me._ He slowly straightened in his chair and eased his revolver out of its holster. "Come in," he called.

The door handle rattled, then turned and the door swung open to reveal a tall, gaunt figure, silhouetted by the light from the living room.

"Office is closed pal, Come back in the morning," Kazuto told the man coldly.

The figure made no sound except for the splash of rainwater that dripped onto the floor. The shadow stepped forward, making an odd squelching sound as it did. The latch on the office door clicked shut at the same time that the hammer on Kazuto's revolver cocked back.

"Come any closer and you're going to find out what it feels like to get a nose piercing at roughly a thousand miles per hour," he warned softly.

The figure continued its silence as it took another squelching step forward and entered the light. Kazuto's arm went slack.

"Keita?"

The gangly red headed man stood before him, positively soaked from head to toe in water. He reeked of fish and low tide; seaweed clung to his shoulders like a mantle. His skin was sickly pale and his eyes were glazed and bloodshot. When he opened his mouth to speak, water gushed out.

"Failure," he gurgled. "All your fault." Kazuto reeled back in his chair, hands trembling as he lay the gun on the desk.

"No, not all of it," he whispered. "Those damn psychopaths. They did this." He put his head in his hands. "I still blame myself though. I wanted to protect all of you." He looked back up at Keita. "I'm sorry I lost them." Keita regarded him in silence, then abruptly transformed into a pillar of water that sloshed to the floor. Kazuto blinked and then three figures stood before him.

Ducker balanced on one charred leg. His blond hair was burnt down to stubble along the right side of his head and teeth shined in a skeletal smile through what remained of his blasted face.

Sasumaru stood next to him, his body and clothes singed but still mostly intact, save for his neck, which was canted to a sickening angle.

Last was Tetsuo, garbed in gore. Blood spurted from a massive gash in his leg, painting his pants crimson and pooling on the floor.

"Fool," rasped Ducker. "Trying to take on more than you could handle."

"Coward," croaked Sasumaru. "Letting those close to you die rather than yourself."

"Laggard," hissed Tetsuo. "Putting off avenging us for so long." Kazuto slowly ran his eyes over each of their faces, soaking in their cloudy, dead eyes. He bowed his head.

"You're right. I'm sorry." When he lifted his head again, he no longer saw the ghastly trio, but felt an invisible hand squeeze his heart as he locked gazes with a pair of soft blue eyes.

"Liar." Sachi gave him a melancholy smile. She wore a pristine blue suit, her shirt, jacket and skirt the color of a clear summer sky. Her visage was only marred by a short length of pure black metal that protruded from between her collarbones. "You said you'd never forget us."

Kazuto slowly rose from his desk and walked over to her. She continued to give him that bittersweet smile. He took a deep breath ad placed his hands on her shoulders. She felt solid, like a real person, but was as cold as ice. A wave of emotion swelled in him and he wrapped her in a crushing embrace, grunting as the tip of the knife buried itself like an icepick in his heart.

"I could never forget you," he whispered. "But...I do have to let you go." In one fluid motion, he moved his hand up to the handle of the knife in her back and pulled it out, hissing at the pain in his chest. As the blade cleared her body, he felt her stiffen, then relax against him.

"I know it hurts," she whispered back. "But now you can heal." He felt her arms wrap around his back, a gentle pressure that somewhat eased the throbbing in his chest and then she was gone.

Kazuto woke up with a start, sucking in air like he had been suffocating. As he looked around, he saw he was still seated on his couch in the living room. "A dream," he panted. "Just a dream."

He glanced up at the clock and saw it was eight in the morning. Running a quick hand through his hair, he changed clothes and splashed some water on his face before tossing on his duster and boots. He dashed to the door and as he was about to shut it, he paused and looked back.

"Goodbye," he said to the empty apartment. Then, after feeling a little foolish, he closed the door and exited into the early morning, where he noticed that even though the sky was still grey and cloudy, the rain seemed to have stopped, if only for a moment.


	4. Chapter 4

Kazuto grimaced as the wind picked up, carrying the rain that had dutifully resumed falling into the meager shelter of the Central Aincrad Police Department building. He shifted on the bench he was sitting on, carefully adjusting his duster so that the small paper bag and two paper cups that sat next to him would be protected from the weather. Once he had made sure that his cargo was safe, he fidgeted with his shiny and rarely used official detective badge, making sure it was clearly visible from its perch on his lapel. The silver shield gleamed like a beacon even in the murky sunlight that filtered through the clouds. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, taking in the soft sounds of the rain. Even through the background noise, he could still hear the whispers of officers and visitors who passed him by.

"It's him…!"

"...Pretty scary looking.."

"Isn't that the guy…?"

"Yeah, only survivor…"

"I saw him at a bar with the captain last night!"

"What? No, you're crazy. The captain won't even get drinks with her own squad, why the hell would she go out with him?"

A low rumble rose out of Kazuto's throat as he opened one and glared balefully at the issuer of the last comment. The woman, who looked to be a dispatch receptionist by the looks of her uniform, squeaked as she realized that he had heard her and hustled inside. A flicker of satisfaction warmed his core as he closed his eyes again and resumed waiting.

A few more quiet minutes passed before Kazuto heard the dull roar of Asuna's cruiser come prowling up the street and purr to a stop in her reserved spot. Metal groaned as her door swung open, then slammed shut. Her heeled boots clicked on the asphalt as she sped up the walk to escape the rain then skidded to a halt as she spotted him.

"Kirito! What are you doing here?" Kazuto lifted his head and opened his eyes. She stood in front of him, her white uniform crisply ironed beneath her red overcoat, a vivid splash of color against the gray palette of the city. Her copper eyes shined with surprise and curiosity. Kazuto simply returned her gaze for brief moment contentedly before he blinked and remembered that he had been asked a question.

"Coming with you to report in of course," he replied as he rose from the bench, concealing his goodies in his duster. "We're partners after all." Asuna's eyebrows rose as she gave him a grin.

"And early to boot? I'm simply astonished." They entered the building and made their way to the elevator behind the front desk.

"Not just early," Kazuto said as he pushed the call button. "But bearing gifts as well." The elevator doors dinged then softly slid open. After they stepped inside, he removed a paper cup and bag from his voluminous pockets and proffered them to Asuna. "Coffee, just the way you like it and a croissant from Phillipe's over on Third."

"You're a saint," Asuna told him as she gratefully took the precious cargo from him. "But how did you manage to get these so early? Phillipe never opens before eleven even if the mayor wants to make a visit." Kazuto shrugged as the doors slowly began to close.

"They owe me a favor."

"Either way, it's appreciated. I woke up late and I missed breakfast."

She quickly lifted the cup to her lips and took a swig of the coffee, heaving a pleased sigh through her nose as the dark liquid revived her weariness. She then opened the bag and ravenously tore into the croissant. Relief spread across her face, before a puzzled expression, followed by pure bliss. She quickly gulped down two more bites before turning to look at Kazuto.

"How in the hell did you convince them to put chocolate chips in Phillipe's recipe? That old geezer said he'd die before changing his grandmother's teachings." Kazuto allowed himself a small smile as he lifted his own cup to his lips for a sip.

"It was a big favor," he said slyly. Asuna smiled and rolled her eyes before biting off another chunk of the croissant, rapturous satisfaction gracing her face again.

"Fucking marry me then, because I can't go back to eating the normal ones again," she sighed after swallowing. "Phillipe would have to make an exception then." Kazuto laughed to cover up a strange clenching sensation in his stomach.

"I'm sure if you asked, he'd be happy to accommodate you," he told her.

"No way," she replied shaking her head. "You get special treatment because you're a celebrity."

"Me? A celebrity? Please. You're the captain of APD who's been valiantly cleaning up the streets and telling evildoers everywhere to beware. I'm surprised you don't get mobbed every time you're off duty."

"Hardly," Asuna scoffed. "If I'm not in uniform, nobody pays me a lick of attention."

"Really? That's surprising."

"What makes you say that?" she asked as she went to finish off the last of her impromptu breakfast.

"You're beautiful, obviously," Kazuto replied on reflex. He went to sip his coffee when what he had said fully registered in his mind. His eyes slid over to Asuna. She was frozen as still as a statue, her teeth clamped onto the last bite bit of pastry, her eyes fixated directly on his face.

"Wha di ou thay?" she asked through a mouthful of food.

Abruptly, the elevators dinged and slid open to reveal a tall, mountain-like man in a red and white uniform trimmed with gold thread. Cool steel eyes regarded the pair with a passive amusement. Asuna quickly gulped down the rest of the food and stood to attention.

"Chief Heathcliffe! Good morning, sir. We were just on our way to see you." Heathcliffe inclined his head a fraction of an inch.

"Impeccable timing as always, Captain Yuuki." The chief's eyes swept over to Kazuto and he raised a craggy eyebrow. "And Detective Kirigaya. I must admit, it is rather surprising to see you here." Kazuto shrugged.

"I'm just here to support my partner." Heathcliffe's lips twitched.

"Naturally. I trust you have news for me regarding your investigation?"

"We do, sir," Asuna replied.

"We shall discuss it in my office then. Come along."

The duo trailed behind the chief's wake as he coolly strode through the main office space. Dozens of eyes flitted up from computers and case files; conversations stopped and people stopped clacking on their keyboards as everyone paused to watch them all go. Finally, Heathcliffe reached his office door and opened it, allowing Asuna and Kazuto to enter. Once they had, he cast a glance back over his shoulder and everyone immediately snapped out of their reverie and jumped back into their duties. Closing the door, he glided over to his desk and eased into his chair.

"So," he said, looking at them over steepled fingers. "Bring me up to speed."

Asuna did just that, going over the events that had occurred, starting with her bringing Kazuto onto the case, his thoughts and the information he had shared in regards to the crimes at the scene, the shooting outside of the apartment complex, Randy's status, and what information she was still waiting to hear back on.

Kazuto noted that she was careful to leave out their interactions at his apartment. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, sending her a wordless thanks. She caught his look and gave an almost imperceptible nod. He thought he saw something flash across her face, but he couldn't quite make out what. After she had finished, Heathcliffe regarded them for another few silent moments, eyes unreadable.

"It would seem," he said after what seemed an eternity, "That I owe you a great deal of thanks, Detective."

"It's nothing, sir," Kazuto answered gruffly, unsettled by the sudden praise.

"Saving the life of not only one of my officers but also my captain as well hardly constitutes 'nothing', Detective. In fact, it's quite something." Heathcliffe's fingers drummed on the plate glass of the top of his desk. "I'm certain that the mayor would agree." Kazuto blinked.

"The mayor?"

"I know for a fact he'd give you an award for it."

"I'm not so sure I'd want all of that," Kazuto said uncertainly as he took half-step backwards towards the door.

"It really isn't so bad," Asuna told him reassuringly. "It'd just be a brief news conference, you'd get your award, snap a picture with the mayor, and then it's all over."

"At least, that's how it'd normally go," Heathcliffe interjected. "You are forgetting a rather important event tomorrow evening, Captain." Asuna's hand flew to her forehead.

"Oh _shit._ " Heathcliffe looked at her with a slightly affronted expression. "I mean, of course, sir."

"What's tomorrow?" Kazuto demanded as he looked between the two of them.

"The Mayor's Ball," Asuna said, her lips set in a grim line. "One of the biggest press events of the year."

"Maybe we could reschedule?" Kazuto asked weakly.

"Oh I'm afraid it won't be that simple," Heathcliffe cut in again. Kazuto could have sworn there was a note of amusement in his voice. "You must be aware that you are somewhat a person of interest in this city and you've already been spotted in Captain Yuuki's company several times in the last twenty-four hours. Also, if I know anything about Corporal Moskowitz-" Kazuto looked questioningly at Asuna.

"Randy."

"Ah." Heathcliffe cleared his throat.

"Yes. As I was saying, if I know anything about the young man, it's that he's been undoubtedly praising your actions to anyone who will listen while he's been at the hospital. I'm certain a news crew has already gotten an interview from him."

"So if the media knows about what happened…" Kazuto began glumly.

"Then the mayor knows too," Asuna finished. "And he knows that everyone is expecting him to present you with an award. There'd be no better time to do it than at the ball."

The intercom on Heathcliffe's desk buzzed. He jabbed at it with a thick finger.

"Yes?"

"Phone call on line one, sir. It's the mayor. Says it's rather urgent?" Heathcliffe looked over at Asuna and Kazuto with a faint smile.

"Yes, I have an idea of what it's about. Put him through." The line clicked over and a smooth baritone voice warbled out of the machine.

"Major Heathcliffe."

"Sir."

"I'm calling about our young friend Detective Kirigaya and Captain Yuuki."

"I assume you are referring to last night's events during the robbery investigation?"

"Naturally. The young man has been a credit to this city, not to mention the Captain's efforts, but after last night, I believe if we don't give them some recognition we may actually see some public backlash."

"I agree completely, sir." Heathcliffe replied, still eyeing the two with amusement. "As luck would have it, I have the detective and Captain Yuuki here in this very moment if you'd like to convey any sentiments."

"Is that so? How fortunate I need to make two less phone calls then. Captain. Detective." Asuna snapped to attention.

"Yes, sir!"

"You and Detective Kirigaya are to attend the ball tomorrow as guests of honor" Asuna looked over at Kazuto, her eyes wide.

"Yes, sir!"

"And be sure to wear something nice, you two. Kirigaya, you'll be receiving a Combat Cross." Asuna's jaw dropped. "Captain, you'll be receiving a Medal of Honor." Kazuto looked back at Asuna who stood even more agape than she had a moment before.

"Thank you, sir," he replied. "We will see you there."

"Eight o'clock sharp, Detective. Can't have our stars show up late!"

"You can count on me, sir."

The phone line clicked off and Heathcliffe killed the intercom. He laced his fingers together and placed them on his desk as he leaned back in his chair.

"It seems you two will have quite the evening tomorrow night," he commented matter-of-factly.

"But sir," Kazuto interceded. "What about the investigation?" Heathcliffe waved his hand in a dismissive motion.

"We're still waiting for our techs to finish analyzing all of the crime scene data. Even with them working around the clock like they have been, the soonest we could have something to go off of is the day after tomorrow, so you'll have no choice but to go out and enjoy yourselves. That'll be all for today, I think. Dismissed." Asuna saluted on reflex as Kazuto gave a disgruntled sigh and a nod before turning to leave. The pair of them walked back to the elevator doors and entered in silence. Once the doors had finally clamped shut, Asuna spoke.

"A Combat Cross and a Medal of Honor," she murmured, her eyes distant. "I can't believe it."

"The two highest awards possible for the APD, right?"

"Yeah," she answered. "I mean, I've gotten service awards before but this-" she shook her head. "-this is incredible. I never thought something like this would happen."

"Please," Kazuto snorted. "You've had this coming forever now. My money is they've been holding out for an event fancy enough." Asuna glanced over at him then lowered her eyes to the floor.

"You're too kind," she elevator doors dinged open and they exited the building and quietly made their way over to Asuna's cruiser. "Need a ride home?" Kazuto slowly just shook his head.

"No, I'm good. Probably just walk back to Agil's and see if I can remember some manners for probably what will be the fanciest party I'll ever be invited to."

"You'd better," Asuna told him as she cracked a wry smile. I'm not gonna have you embarrass me on the night of my greatest triumph." Kazuto rolled his eyes and began to turn away.

"Yeah, yeah. Believe me, I'm gonna do whatever it takes just to get through the night and go back to everyone forgetting who I am." He turned and started to walk away but only got a few steps before Asuna called out to him.

"Kirito." He looked back over his shoulder at her.

She stared at him, her gaze curiously intent. The wind tugged at her overcoat, the red fabric snapping in the swift breeze, her hair trailing out behind her, but she paid it no notice as her eyes remained fixated on him.

"I never forgot you," she told him. Something clenched in Kazuto's chest as he felt an ache that he'd almost forgotten about rise up inside of him.

"I never forgot you either," he called back. She let out a short breath, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

"See you tomorrow, then."

"See you." Kazuto resumed walking down the street towards the Lucky Dice, wondering if Agil made a drink that might help with the sudden wrenching ache he had in his chest.

"A Combat Cross, huh? That's a pretty big deal, right?" Kazuto nodded as he fished his lighter out of his duster pocket.

"Yeah," he said through the cigarette clenched in his teeth. "Second highest award offered by the APD." Agil whistled as he dropped ice into a glass and reached for a bottle of bourbon.

"Well, well," he smirked as he poured the liquor with a slight flourish. "Look at mister big shot now."

"Pass me my damn drink, wiseass," Kazuto grumbled as he struck the flint on his lighter, igniting the cigarette with a few irritable puffs.

"Oh, somebody's cranky today."

"It's this damn ball. You know I don't like all of the attention." Agil shook his head as he slid the drink down the bar to Kazuto's waiting hand.

"Nah, there's more to it than that. You're real keyed up about something." He scratched his beard thoughtfully. "I'd say it's got something to do with the captain."

Kazuto slammed his glass down on the bartop and shot smoke out of his nose in an angry jet. "No," he grunted. "It doesn't."

"Mhmm," Agil said with a grin. "I don't need to be a farmer to know bullshit when I see it." Kazuto shot him a venomous look, but said nothing. The bartender rolled his eyes and poured himself a drink. "Look, man," he said gently. "How long we known each other?" Kazuto glanced up at him.

"Long time," he mumbled.

"Then be real with me," Agil told him as he came around the bar and sat next to him. "Tell me what's going on."

Kazuto swirled the ice cubes around in his drink, watching the light refract through them as they spun. "The captain…Asuna. She's being presented a Medal of Honor alongside me tomorrow night at the ball. We're the guests of honor."

"Okay," Agil said encouragingly. "Go on."

"It's just…" Kazuto began, then grunted and shook his head. He was silent for a moment. "We've been spending a lot of time together recently," he went on. "And we've really only seen each other at work, but it's different."

"Different how?"

"Like…" Kazuto snapped his fingers while formulating his thoughts. "Like when I'm usually on the job, I'm usually always on guard. You never know how the situation might change. Suspect could go absolutely apeshit and you gott be ready for that to happen. Only I'm not on guard against a suspect. It's like I'm on guard against something else. And Asuna's just…" he broke off again, shaking his head.

"Let me see if I'm getting this right," Agil jumped in. "She makes you feel on edge." Kazuto nodded begrudgingly. "Why? Do you not trust her?"

"God no," Kazuto snorted. "I'd trust her with my life. It's just… I guess I don't trust myself around her?" Agil regarded him out of the corner of his eye.

"Why's that?"

"There's…" Kazuto gestured vaguely to his chest. "Something here."

"Something like what?"

"Tension, I suppose. But not in a bad way. Kind of like waiting for the drop on a rollercoaster. Makes me jittery."

"Anything else? What happens when you're around her?" Kazuto shook his head.

"I'm having a hard time describing it. My mind gets kind of fuzzy, like I'm thinking through static. I might blurt something out or act on instinct when I'd clearly benefit from thinking the situation through. Looking at her hurts sometimes, but it's nice. And I get sad when she leaves, which is strange, because I like being alone, and there's other times where I'll want to say something but my throat just closes up." He took a long drag from his cigarette. "I wish I knew what it was," he muttered wistfully.

Agil laughed and ran a hand over his face.

"Hey, what the hell man?" Kazuto asked indignantly. "You tell me to spill my guts to you and then you laugh at me?"

"Sorry, sorry," Agil chuckled. "It's just for a detective, sometimes you're so dense you couldn't pour out a boot full of water if the instructions were on the heel?"

"The hell you talking about?" Agil rolled his eyes again and set his glass down on the bar.

"Look," he said as he wrapped an arm around Kazuto's shoulders. "You've known the captain since training at the academy, right?"

"Yeah. So what?"

"Was there ever a time where you felt like this around her before?"

Kazuto stared into his drink and thought back…

"Thought I'd find you here," a voice told him. Kazuto looked up slowly from his tray to see Asuna standing in the doorway of the stairwell that led to the roof.

"Here I am," he replied flatly. He looked back down at his tray and resumed slowly eating his lunch. He heard the softy treading of boots and a rustle of fabric as Asuna moved to sit down next to him.

"Nice view," Asuna commented. "I can see why you like it up here."

"It's quiet," he said without looking up. "Usually, anyway. Don't you have friends you normally eat with in the mess hall?" She shrugged as she snapped a pair of chopsticks apart.

"Don't have any really. Sinon is always practicing her marksmanship every waking moment she's not in class." She gave him a bemused look. "You're my only other friend."

"Sorry to hear that," Kazuto grunted.

"How's your hand?" The question caught him off guard. He looked down at his bandaged arm in its cast and sling.

"Oh, uh, it's alright. Medic said it was a classic boxer's fracture. Told me I'd be fine as long as I didn't go throwing haymakers for a little bit."

"I still can't believe you did that," Asuna admonished him. "We may have passed with high marks, but was it worth it for you to end up like this?" She pointed with her chopsticks to one of the butterfly sutures under his blackened eye. He swiped her hand away.

"Absolutely," he answered irritably. "We can't expect to graduate if we don't take necessary risks."

"Key word there being 'necessary'," Asuna retorted. "Jumping directly into the middle of the enemy and getting the crap beat out of you can hardly be classified as 'tactical risk taking'." She watched him struggle to grasp a bite of rice with his chopsticks for a moment. "You're more used to using those with your right hand, huh?"

"I'm ambidextrous," he said with a grimace. "But I definitely prefer my right hand when it comes to some things." He swore under his breath as he dropped another bite of rice.

"Here," she said, rolling her eyes. "Let me help."

"I don't-" Kazuto's rejection was cut short as Asuna deftly scooped up a large bite of rice and stuffed it in his mouth.

"I think I like you better this way," she told him with a smirk. "Now I don't have to listen you to bitch and moan so much." Kazuto chewed furiously to tell her off.

"You're insuff-" Another bite of rice was shoved into his mouth and his nostrils flared as he sat there fuming. Asuna laughed at his frustration.

"This is too easy," she said, still smiling. Despite being aggravated that his peaceful lunch had been interrupted, he couldn't help but be placated by her genuine grin. Her face softened a bit as she went on. "Thank you for doing everything that you could though. It was very kind of you," Kazuto swallowed the mouthful of food, hoping to clear the lump in his throat.

"Yeah, well, I had my own marks to worry about too. Plus I couldn't just let you get eaten up by those machine guns all by yourself out there," he mumbled, looking back down at his tray again. "I hate seeing girls get hurt." He winced and sucked in a breath through his teeth a chopstick prodded a bandage on his face. "Hey easy-"

"I don't like seeing my friends get hurt," Asuna told him firmly, her face and voice still soft. Kazuto noticed a dangerous glint in her eyes, however. "So you're just going to have to get used to being around someone who is just as serious as you clearly think you are."

Kazuto sighed through his nose, a bemused smile on his lips as he looked evenly back at her. Her expression was carefully neutral, as if she'd been discussing something as mundane as the weather or their latest training assignments. He could see below the surface as well; a resolute will that was deadly serious, albeit in a well-meaning way.

"I don't think I have much of a choice," he said finally. "Just don't drag me down." Asuna smirked at him.

"This coming from the guy who can't manage to feed himself."

"You know what…"

Kazuto blinked as Agil nudged him.

"You good, man?"

"Yeah," he said. "Yeah. Just really thinking if it's ever been like this before, like you said."

"And?"

"It has, a few times."

"Yeah, I figured as much," Agil chuckled as he stood up from the bar.

"Hey wait," Kazuto called after him. "What's all that mean?" Agil shot him a look before he entered his office.

"You're a good detective, Kirito," he called over his shoulder. "I bet you already know."

Kazuto sat at the bar until closing, thinking over everything Agil had said and continued thinking as he waved the relief bartender goodnight and climbed the stairs to his apartment. He even kept thinking as he crawled into bed and closed his eyes. Just as he was about to drift off to sleep, he sat bolt upright in bed.

"Oh, _shit._ "


	5. Chapter 5

He slept fitfully, his insides a ball of restless energy. Eventually he gave on sleep entirely in the wee hours of the morning and shambled into the shower, letting the scalding hot water run over him. He stood there with his eyes closed for a long time as he mentally grappled with himself until the knots in his gut began to slowly unwind while the water ran cold. He shut the shower off and wrapped a towel around his waist. On his his way to the bedroom to get dressed, he heard a knock at the door. Sighing irritably, he stomped over to the door and opened it.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I already have a paper subscript-" He cut short as he realized the pink haired woman in front of him was decidedly not the same greasy paper salesman that'd been harassing him lately. "Oh," he said. "Who are you?"

"Uh, Lisbeth," she said, giving him a wide eyed once over. Realizing herself, she quickly shielded her view with a small parcel she held in her hand. "Uh, Asuna wanted you to have this for tonight. Said something about a note you should read?" Kazuto gently reached out and took it from her.

"Alright, thanks." He tossed the package onto the couch and grabbed a few wadded up bills off the end table by the door and tossed them at Lisbeth, who caught them with an indignant squawk.

"Hey, I don't need your charity, pal! Who do you think-" Kazuto closed the door and scooped the bag up on the way to his bedroom. After getting somewhat decent, he carefully took out his pocket knife and teased the parcel open. A small note slid out. As he picked it up, he could recognize Asuna's hand right away.

" _An apology and a thank you; for counting on you so much so lately and for all the help you've given me. There's nobody I'd rather have watching my back."_ His eyes scanned down to the bottom of the card. " _P.S.- I know it isn't black, but humor me. ~A."_ Kazuto, puzzled, reached in and pulled out what lay inside.

A beautiful crimson silk tie sat in a display box. As he went to inspect it, he noticed the shimmering of silver thread work that ran up and down the length of the fabric. He squinted and realized the threads wove an intricate pattern of a single jasmine blossom. He frowned uncertainly at it as he buttoned up his favorite black dress shirt, but his skepticism faded as he put the tie around his neck and fidgeted with it in front of the mirror.

"Not bad," he muttered to himself. Glancing up at the clock, he saw that he still had a few good hours to kill before he needed to leave, so he busied himself by cleaning his revolver and fussing around with minor cleaning around the apartment. After what seemed like a century of waiting, night fell. Kazuto ran a comb through his hair for the fourteenth time and splashed on some cologne from a rarely used bottle on his dresser before heading for the door. His hands instinctively went to take his revolver from where it hung in its holster by the door. He looked at it, grimacing for a moment before shaking his head.

"I'll leave it up to the boys tonight," he murmured. Taking a deep breath, he stepped outside of his apartment and went down to the Lucky Dice to call a cab. As Kazuto came through the door, he was greeted by the sound of Agil whistling through his teeth.

"Well, well, well. Look who is all dressed up for his big night!" A few regulars up and down the bar exchanged knowing grins as Kazuto strolled over, his face dour.

"I need you to call me a cab," he told Agil, but the big man was already shaking his head.

"I would but your ride just got here," Agil replied coolly as he lifted a thick-fingered hand to point at the door. Kazuto swiveled his head to follow the gesture to find a prim and proper fellow wearing a large drivers jacket and holding an umbrella standing by the entrance, looking rather out of place and clearly feeling it as well. The man's face smoothed out in relief as he saw Kazuto and approached him.

"Detective Kirigaya at last," he intoned respectfully as he extended a hand. "My name is Bentley, and I am to be your driver this evening." Kazuto regarded the man with disinterest as he firmly placed his hands in his pockets.

"Nice to meet you, Bentley, but I didn't hire a driver."

"No, no, you misunderstand, sir," Bentley awkwardly retracted his hand and placed it atop the other on his umbrella. "I was charged by the mayor to drive you and Captain Yuuki to the ball tonight. She's waiting in the car as we speak." Kazuto pursed his lips and nodded.

"Alright then, then lead the way." Bentley bobbed his head, walking smartly as Kazuto followed behind, his shoulders hunched. As they exited, Kazuto saw a sleek black limousine purring next to the curb. He glared reproachfully at Bentley as the man opened the rear door. "You said a car," he growled through clenched teeth. "This is a bloody landship."

"Oh lighten up, Kirito," Asuna's voice called from the shadows of the vehicle's interior. "Bentley's doing his best. Plus, we're on the way to a party and we can't be late." His shoulders sagged a bit.

"Fine, fine," he relented, then clambered in. He didn't even hear the door close behind him because he was far too focused on the vision sitting next to him in the back seat.

Asuna sat regarding him with a coy smile as she sipped from a champagne glass. Her long, flowing hair was still in its typical braid that left a few delicate strands free to frame her face, but the back, instead of hanging in a loose ponytail at the end of her braid, was secured into a regal updo by an ornate clip that made the ends of her hair flare up like the petals of an exotic flower. She wore a white quipao dress that, Kazuto realized, had slashes cut down the length of the sides that revealed a startling amount of shapely leg and thigh. His eyes followed along the solid, smooth lines of her calf, tracing up to the tops of her stockings that peeked out from the hem of her dress. Somewhere in the back of his mind as he took her appearance in, he noticed that her dress was embroidered with jasmine blossoms that matched the colors of his tie. Dimly, he heard Asuna clear her throat.

"Looking for something, Detective?" she asked, pouring him a glass of champagne from the bottle that had been resting in the limo's mini fridge.

"Yes, actually," he replied with a grin as he took the drink she offered him. "I was wondering if you had seen my partner. She's about your height, similar hair color and eyes. The only real difference is she'd never be caught dead in anything other than her uniform."

"Well, it's not every day you get invited to the Mayor's Ball, you know," she chuckled into her glass. "A lady has to look her best. Speaking of, come here, your tie is crooked. She softly placed her glass in a nearby holder and scooted closer to him.

Kazuto became acutely aware of the familiar scent of her perfume, as well as just how nicely the dress accentuated her form. He averted his eyes and took a hasty sip from his glass as her manicured nails gently adjusted his tie.

"You wore it," she mumbled. He turned to look back at her and fought back the urge to shiver at how close she was.

"Of course I wore it. It's the nicest thing I have now." Her lips turned up into a small smile as she snorted while still inspecting the fabric. "I, uh, also noticed it matches your dress." Asuna looked up and locked eyes with him, her grip tightening on his tie.

"We're partners now. I didn't see why we shouldn't look like it."

Kazuto could feel his stomach rioting and knew it had nothing to do with the champagne. Asuna still remained close, those copper eyes looking at him almost expectantly, waiting for him to do or say something. Luckily, Bentley saved him as the partition at the front of the compartment rolled down.

"Pardon me, Captain, but we've arrived at City Hall." Asuna released his tie and busied herself by brushing some non-existent wrinkles out of her dress.

"Thank you, Bentley. Would you mind getting the door for us?"

"Of course, miss."

"Now try not to throttle any of the press when we get out," she teased Kazuto.

He grinned as he rolled some of the stiffness out of his neck, pretending like there wasn't tension thick enough to cut with a knife a few moments ago.

"Just watch," he said, stepping out of the car as Bentley opened the door. "I've been practicing my manners." He leaned down and offered his arm, which she took with a pleasantly surprised expression.

"My, my," she said as she stepped up and out of the car, entwining her arm with his. "Look how far you've come."

They looked up at the building in its formal splendor, A long red carpet trailed down the stairs from the entrance all the way across a long walk lined with velvet ropes where a mob of reporters and paparazzi pointed their cameras and clamored for the attention of arrivals as they made their way inside.

"You ready?" Asuna asked Kazuto.

"Just glad the rain let up for now. Hate for the weather to ruin such a terrific evening."

"That didn't answer my question," she joked, nudging him with her elbow. Kazuto glanced down and flashed her a quick grin.

"I didn't have as much champagne as you did, so I'm a little more tense. But, yeah, I'm ready."

"Then let's go."

They stepped forward in unison, entering the frenzy that waited for them.

"Hey that's the captain over there!" someone in the mob cried.

"Who's that she's with?"

"Isn't that Detective Kirigaya?"

"Get a load of them!"

Kazuto did his best not to glower as more cries went up and cameras flashed while they walked by.

"Hold on," Asuna murmured to him, gently pulling him to a stop in front of the crowd. "You have to let them get their pictures in now or they'll harass you all night." Kazuto's lips quirked into a bemused smile.

"Better now than later I suppose."

"Precisely," she told him as she rested her head on his shoulder, causing a frenzy of chatter to ripple throughout the mass of people in front of them. "I'd much rather focus on the rest of the evening without some jackass cramming a camera in my face."

"Same here," Kazuto answered, feeling his stomach slowly turn in circles. "Shall we?"

Leaving the press pit after a few more pictures the duo climbed the stairs and walked through the glass front doors of city hall.

Golden light cascaded from dozens of crystal chandeliers that refracted the hot glow of the light bulbs' filaments over a thousand times onto the gilded columns and art deco walls. Kazuto scanned the room as he saw a few hundred people milling about on the polished black and white tiles of the floors and quickly spotted an elevated table along the back wall. As he began making a path through the masses, a small, sweaty man in a tuxedo approached them.

"Ah, good, the captain and detective. If you'll follow me to your seats-"

"Think I've got it figured out. Appreciate it if you'd bring a few drinks to the table. Black Russian to start," Kazuto told him gruffly. He paused as he felt Asuna squeeze his arm. "Add a Manhattan to that as well. Two cherries. Got that?"

The man looked taken aback for a moment, but bobbed his head stiffly and melted into the crowd.

"That was the mayor's secretary you just sent to fetch drinks," Asuna snickered. Kazuto shrugged as security waved them through the velvet rope encircling the VIP table.

"He's a secretary. If he doesn't like doing what other people tell him to do, he's in the wrong line of work." He pulled out Asuna's chair for her, then seated himself as a waiter melted out of the crowd and handed them their drinks before vanishing back into the sea of people. Asuna grabbed her glass and turned to Kazuto.

"To tonight," she declared, raising her glass. "And what it will bring."

"To whatever comes next," Kazuto responded, raising his glass in turn. "And that we might face it together." They clinked glasses.

After Kazuto had downed his drink, time seemed to move by in an almost dream-like haze. The jazz band in the corner kicked up into a lively tune as dozens of people approached to shake his and Asuna's hand and fawn over them. He gave up trying to keep track of who was who after the fifth handshake, focusing instead on Asuna's presence next to him. He fuzzily thought of how calm she seemed in a dense crowd. He must have been staring, because Asuna glanced over and raised an eyebrow.

"Everything alright, Kirito? Do I have something in my teeth? I knew I shouldn't have had those spinach puffs-" Kazuto laughed and shook his head.

"No, no. Just thinking that you're pretty well suited for this kind of thing."

"Well don't forget yourself, either. You're doing much better than I would have thought. You actually look like you're having a good time talking to everyone."

"Easy to fake interest when you don't give a shit." Asuna tilted her head back and laughed giddily.

More time passed as the saxophones swooned and the music spilled out across the floor and before he knew it, the mayor was standing up at a podium, sweeping a hand in his direction.

"...a credit to the Independent Detective Partner Program, Kazuto Kirigaya!"

"Go on," Asuna whispered into his ear, giving him a nudge. He rose from his seat and crossed the stage to accept the small box that the mayor was offering with one hand and shook hands with the other, giving the photographer with a tight lipped smile as she snapped a picture for the papers. He quickly seated himself back down with a sigh.

"And our other guest of honor tonight! Let us all make our gratitude known to our steadfast police captain, Asuna Yuuki, who is receiving the Medal of Honor for her valiant service on duty for the Aincrad Police Department!"

Thunderous applause shook the room and a raucous cheer rose from the general assembly that still crowded the floor. Asuna flashed Kazuto a nervous grin before rising and crossing over to the podium, firmly shaking the mayor's hand and beaming for her photograph. He though she looked simply radiant.

"And now," the mayor intoned. "Our esteemed guests of honor will officially kick off tonight's festivities by leading us in the first dance of the night!"

Kazuto's eyes widened in bewilderment as a waiter approached and took his award box on a silver tray, gesturing for him to go over to Asuna, who stood waiting at the podium. He brusquely made his way to her, inclining his head stiffly in the mayor's direction.

"Nobody told me there would be dancing," he whispered to Asuna out of the corner of his mouth as they made their way down the dais. As they descended, the crowd was already parting to make room for them on the floor.

"It's a ball, Kirito. What did you expect?" she chided. "You can dance, can't you?"

"Of course I can dance," he snorted. He glanced over at her, still resplendent in her evening wear. "The real question is if you can keep up in those shoes." She looked back at him, her eyes glimmering.

"Try me, Detective." Kazuto held her gaze for a few seconds as they finally made it to the floor, his pulse rising to a dull roar in his ears.

"Give me something lively," he called out to the band. He and Asuna moved to the center of the space as the band conferred amongst themselves for a brief moment, then nodded and beckoned a woman in red who'd been standing off to the side over to the microphone.

"One, two, one, two, three," she counted off, her voice sultry as the band kicked into full gear. The horns swooned as the bass player plucked a steady beat.

Kazuto stepped in time, his left hand holding on to Asuna's right while gripping her waist with the other. Asuna followed suit, mirroring his movements with an effortless grace. They moved as matched blades as the swing band reached a crescendo while the singer crooned into the microphone.

" _It's too darn hot_ ,"

Kazuto whirled Asuna in a circle, stepping out of the way to let her pass under his arm. She laughed as she spun and reached as far as her arms would allow, letting Kazuto twirl her back into the basic step.

" _It's too darn hot,"_

Cheers broke out from the crowd as the music urged the pair on, both of them kicking, stepping, and twirling in time as they began to shimmer in a sheen of sweat and grinning like mad, focused on each other and the tread of the music binding them together. The drums and the cymbals crashed as the onlookers began clapping in time, the beat reaching a frenzied peak. Kazuto threw Asuna out for another spin.

" _It's too darn hot!"_

She whirled back into his arms as the band in for the big finish and he dipped her low as the horns wailed and the crowd roared. They stood there, panting, Kazuto holding her up with one hand bracing her back and the other on her thigh; Asuna with her arms wrapped around Kazuto's neck as the music bellowed its final note.

"What is it?" she panted, her eyes locked with his. Kazuto simply stared, breathing heavily as he drank her in, committing every detail of her face to memory. As the music finally began to fade away, he felt as though a dam had broken open somewhere in his chest.

"Just remembered something I wanted to do for a long time," he said simply, then leaned down and kissed her. She made a soft sound of surprise, but melted into his arms, drawing him closer by tightening her arms around his neck. He kissed her again and again and she kissed him back, not a care for anything else in the world. Eventually they parted to catch their breath and were suddenly aware of a deafening tsunami of cheering and whistling.

"Well, well!" The mayor laughed into the microphone. "Too darn hot indeed!" The crowd whistled and howled in agreement as they stood up. "Let's hear it one more time for our guests of honor, shall we?"

More cheers went up before the mayor went on to open up the floor to everyone else, but Kazuto didn't get the chance to hear what was being said because Asuna took him by the arm and dragged him through the crowd and out the door before he even knew what was going on. He stumbled behind her as she lead him outside and down the grand stairs towards the limousine where Bentley leaned against the car, reading a paper. He did a double-take as he saw them approaching. He quickly stashed the paper inside his driver's coat and stepped to open the rear door.

"Where to, Captain?" he asked primly as Kazuto found himself unceremoniously shoved into the rear of the limo.

"Lucky Dice," Asuna growled as she clambered in after him. "And step on it." She slammed the car door shut behind her.

"I'm sorry," Kazuto said, eyes downcast. "I didn't mean to embarrass you like that in front of every-" He was cut off by Asuna grabbing him by the tie and pulling him into a passionate kiss, running her free hand through his hair. When she finally pulled away, she stayed close and looked him in his eyes.

"Don't apologize," she whispered, out of breath. "Not for this."

Kazuto took that as his cue and pulled her back in, finding delight in the sensation of her lips against his. He caressed her face, keeping her close. She made a soft sound of approval as she fumbled blindly at the clip keeping her hair up before finally managing to release it, sending her silky tresses cascading down her back. Kazuto carded his fingers through her hair, reveling in the simple intimacy of the act. He gathered a few locs in his hand and tugged gently, drawing a small gasp from Asuna as she tilted her head back. He took the opportunity to kiss at the delicate skin of her neck. She moaned softly as Kazuto strung hot kisses down to her collarbone, teasing her with tender nibbles.

Suddenly the car door opened.

"Oh, ahem. Pardon me, but we've arrived," Bentley's abashed voice came from the exterior of the car. Asuna wasted no time in taking Kazuto by the hand and pulling him out into the warm rain that had started falling again. The two somehow made it up the flight of stairs to Kazuto's apartment.

"Hold on," Kazuto grunted, pulling away from Asuna's kiss. "I've got my keys here somewhere." She pressed against him, looking him dead in the eyes.

"Let me help you," She murmured. Kazuto sucked in a breath as her hand slid up his thigh and reached into his pocket before coming away with his keyring. He took it from her without breaking eye contact and unlocked the door.

"You seem awfully comfortable with all of this," he said, searching her face. To his surprise, she blushed and averted her gaze.

"I'd probably be a lot nervous under normal circumstances," she admitted. "But after all this time we've been spending together, the music, the drinks, and the dancing!" She smiled and put her head on his shoulder. "And then you kissed me...all I could think about was just being with you away from everyone." Kazuto gently placed a finger under her chin and tilted her head up to look her in the eyes again.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked softly. She leaned in and pressed her forehead against his.

"Yes," she whispered back. "More than anything, yes."

He kissed her again, gently at first, but grew more passionate by the second as he pressed her up against the wall. She responded enthusiastically, tugging at his lip with her teeth. He took her by the legs and lifted her into the air, carrying her into the apartment. She laughed throatily into their kiss as she wrapped her legs around his waist, nimbly kicking her heels off. They made their way to the bedroom and Kazuto set Asuna down on her feet. She swiftly undid his tie and plucked the buttons of his shirt open while he undid the fastenings of her dress, letting the fabric slip off of her shoulders to the floor.

"Black?" he paused to ask as he gazed the lacy lingerie that clung to her lovely form. "I would've guessed white." Asuna fixed him with a hungry gaze.

"It's my favorite color," she purred. "Now take off your pants."

He wasted no time in complying, tossing the clothing off into a corner of the room.

"Holy shit," Asuna breathed, giving him a lingering once-over, making heat rush to Kazuto's face.

"Everything you'd hoped for?" A wolfish grin made her lips quirk up as she tilted her head.

"And more," she said as she stepped closer. Her grin slowly faded as her eyes traveled upwards towards his torso. "So many scars…" she murmured, tracing her fingers along the crests and valleys in his flesh, making him shiver. Her finger paused over a long thin ridge over his ribs. "What was this from?"

"Petty thief that'd been hitting Fifth Street. Switchblade." Her finger moved to a trio of divots near his stomach.

"This one?"

"Bank robber. Nine millimeter." She traced a savage line that marred his upper chest.

"How?"

"Human trafficker. Broken bottle." Asuna slowly wrapped her arms around him and pressed close, feeling the heat of him against her as she looked into his eyes.

"But none on your back," she said quietly. Kazuto kissed her again.

"Don't be afraid to add some," he answered.

They sank onto the mattress, all feverish kisses and roaming hands as they tossed off the last of their clothes and gave into passion; moans and cries of pleasure echoing off the walls. Skin on skin, they moved in harmony, reveling in the ecstasy of each other as they abandoned all reserves while they built towards the inevitable climax. When the moment came where neither of them contain themselves any longer, they cried out as one, sharing in the moment of utter bliss and intimacy together. Breathless, they collapsed to the sheets, exchanging looks that carried volumes more than any paltry words could ever dream of expressing. Kazuto wrapped his arms around Asuna and the two of them eventually drifted off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Kazuto woke up to the smell of roses. His eyes fluttered open and he was greeted by a mass of mussed coppery hair. Smiling quietly to himself, he gently picked his head up off of the pillow to look at Asuna.

She lay curled up in his arms, naked save for the sheets around them. She dozed contentedly as small steady puffs of air came from her partially parted lips.

Ever so gently, Kazuto slipped out of bed, making sure not to wake her. He quietly dressed in some sweatpants and a stray tank top before silently padding out to the kitchen, He put on a pot of coffee and set the small dining table with two mugs and plates for breakfast. Going to the cabinets, he pulled out a pan and some spices before going to the fridge and grabbing some bacon and eggs. Turning the oven on, he deftly cracked the eggs with one hand and sent them sizzling into the pan as he used the other to grab the coffee pot once it beeped at him that it was done. He went to pour some coffee into the mugs when a frantic knock at the door interrupted him. Frowning, he went and opened the door.

"Detective! Thank God you're home!" Liz exclaimed, wringing her hands as she leaned forward. "Asuna didn't come home last night and nobody at the department knew where she was, but then I remembered you were at the ball with her last night, so I thought I'd...ask…...you…you…" she trailed away quietly, looking at him with wide eyes.

Kazuto stood there, still holding his coffeepot, wondering what on earth she was staring at him so intently for. He glanced at his reflection in the glass of his door. His hair was disheveled, but more importantly, he could make out teeth marks and bruises that ran up and down his exposed neck and collarbone.

"Oh," he managed. "Uh." Behind him, he heard a door open and the shuffling of footsteps.

"Kirito?" Asuna's sleepy voice mumbled. "Is everything alright? I thought I heard a voice-" the footsteps froze. Kazuto slowly turned his head to look at her. She was frozen stock still in nothing but his dress shirt from the night before, a few spare buttons and a couple extra inches of fabric separating her from complete indecency. Her eyes were wide as she stared at Lizbeth in the doorway. Kazuto looked back at Lizbeth, who looked completely floored and turned as pink as her hair. She stared right back at Asuna. The moment seemed to last forever.

"She's fine," Kazuto grunted, promptly slamming the door in Lizbeth's face. He promptly turned on his heel and scrambled to do what he could to salvage what remained of breakfast. He heard Asuna sigh and then slide into one of the chairs at the table.

"That is going to be one conversation I am not going to enjoy," she mumbled as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Oh?" Kazuto looked at her questioningly as he filled their mugs. "Why's that? She think I'm a bad guy or something?"

"Quite the opposite actually." Asuna answered, gently taking her cup with both hands and lifting it to her lips. "She thinks we're made for each other." Kazuto made an amused sound while he scraped their breakfast onto their plates.

"And you told her there was no way it'd ever happen." He saw her cheeks flush behind the rim of the mug as she drank.

"Something like that." She set her cup down on the table. They ate in silence, staring at their food, the ceiling; anything but each other. Finally, Asuna cleared her throat.

"So," she began, then faltered as Kazuto looked up at her from his eggs.

"So."

"Last night," she continued, chasing a small bit of food around on her plate with her fork. "Before...we kissed. You said you'd wanted to do it for a long time."

"I did," he replied.

"How long?" Kazuto exhaled through his nose and leaned back in his chair, thinking.

"Since around graduation from the academy, I suppose. I mean, I probably didn't realize it at the time, but after spending so much time together back then, then me deciding to go into the Detective Partner Program and you getting your assignment in Glocken, I suppose it all just got put aside. Guess it never fully went away, huh?" Asuna stared into her coffee and nodded slowly. "What about you?"

"I think…" her eyebrows furrowed in thought. "I think it was around the same time for me, too." She laughed humorlessly. "What could've been…" She shook her head. "Ah well, all that matters is right now." Kazuto slowly reached across the table and took her hand.

"That-" he said "-and what comes next."

"True."

"Not to push you or anything, but what do you see coming next?" Asuna's fingers squeezed his, then slipped away as she withdrew into herself.

"I...I'm not sure," she murmured. "It's been so long since I've felt this way and it's all happening so fast...it's a bit overwhelming. Not to say that it's something I don't want," she added hurriedly, glancing up at him. "But I just need some time to think-"

The phone on the wall rang suddenly, cutting her off.

"It's okay," Kazuto said, staring at the phone reproachfully. "We can talk about it later." He got up and picked the phone off of the receiver. "Kirigaya."

"Detective," Major Heathcliffe's voice came over the line. "Glad you're awake. Our techs have finished their reports."

"I'll be right over," he answered gruffly and went to hang up the phone.

"Oh," Heathcliffe's voice stopped him. "And do be sure to bring Captain Yuuki with you as well." The line clicked off. Kazuto stared at the phone in disbelief.

"What is it?" Asuna asked. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, yeah." He shook his head to clear his mind. "Everything's fine, just got word that we gotta head into the station. Reports are ready for us."

"Ah hell, my uniform and everything is still at my place. I'll just call a cab."

"Don't bother," he said, glancing out the window. "Rain's let up for now, so we can take my bike." Asuna blinked at him in surprise.

"You have a motorcycle?"

"Haven't been able to use it much with all the rain. What, did you think I just walked everywhere?"

"N-no," she answered huffily. She stood up and walked towards the bedroom. "Suppose I'll get dressed."

"Take my duster," he called after her. "The wind will freeze you in that dress otherwise." He heard a muffled affirmative come through the door as he walked to the bathroom to freshen up.

In a few minutes they were both dressed and ready. On their way down the stairs, they rain into Agil on his way to open up the bar.

"Morning, Captain. Kirito," he said with a genial smile. "Up and working so early in the morning?"

"Yes," Kazuto said through clenched teeth. "Just on the way out the door actually." He went to usher Asuna towards the door.

"You might need these." Agil spun a small pair of keys on his finger as he leaned on the doorframe to the main bar. Kazuto checked his pockets, scowling in agitation.

"How did you-"

"Find them? Interesting story actually. Little fella who was driving your ride last night came in here in a big huff all sweaty and red, handed me these. Said they must've come off your key ring when 'those two got physical'. So I figured you'd gone and ruined a good evening like only you can-"

"The hell is that supposed to me-"

"-And that the Captain night have finally had enough and decide to give you a whack upside the head. So I headed upstairs with your keys and a drink to pat you on the back and tell you that'd it'd be alright." He winked conspiratorially at Asuna, who flushed red as she looked down at the floor. "I was going to knock when I noticed the door was already cracked open," Agil continued. "When I stuck my head in to make sure everything was okay," the big man chuckled deep down in his chest. "Turned out things were more than okay." He clapped a hand on Kazuto's shoulder. "I was always rooting for the two of you, y'know?"

"Thanks," Kazuto grunted as he grabbed the keys from Agil's hand. "Appreciate all the support." He swept Asuna out the door and across the parking lot.

"Agil's a good friend," Asuna said quietly. "I'm glad you've got someone like him to depend on." Kazuto snorted as he looked back over his shoulder, then his expression softened a bit.

"Yeah," he relented. "Me too."

They finally reached Kazuto's motorcycle. Asuna raised her eyebrows in admiration as she slowly walked around the vehicle. The bike sat low to the ground and radiated power. She ran a hand over the wide rear wheel cover, gazing at the dim light reflecting hazily in the blacked out chrome of the engine and the sinister, blade-like rims.

"How many cc's?" she asked as Kazuto took two helmets out of the black leather saddlebags. He slid the full faced helmet on and gave her a blithe look as he put the key in the ignition and started it up. The engine roared to life so loudly it made Asuna jump.

"1500 cc's," he answered as he glanced at his gauges and passed her a helmet. "Supercharged, stainless steel frame, carbon fiber body, sintered brakes-"

"Entirely full of illegal aftermarket modifications," she butted in, rolling her eyes as she clasped her helmet on.

"Oh you're right, I forgot that criminals adhere to laws! My apologies." Asuna gave him a look. He looked back as he smugly flicked the mirrored visor down over his face. She shook her head ruefully and swung her leg over the bike, carefully tucking the tails of Kazuto's duster under her so they wouldn't get caught in the wheels.

"Ready," she said, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.

Kazuto wheeled the bike out of its space and gunned the motor, sending them speeding down the mostly abandoned morning streets. Asuna let her mind wander as the buildings blurred by. She drew the duster closer around her, grateful for how the leather stopped the wind so efficiently. She was also grateful for Kazuto's warmth. Even though the thought made her flush, she felt… better. More balanced and relaxed. Now that she thought about it, she'd been so harsh on herself recently with everything that had been going on. When was the last time she'd taken a shower that had lasted longer than five minutes? Sat down and worked out the knots in her hair? Talked to someone about something that wasn't work?

"You may want to add an extra layer when you change into your uniform." Asuna blinked and realized they had stopped at a red light.

"What?"

"Layers," Kazuto repeated. "Forecast calls for it to drop in temperature later on. Don't want you to freeze."

"Who are you and what have you done with the city's big bad private eye?" she asked jokingly. She felt his chest rumble as he laughed.

"He's off the clock. Just me here right now." She rested her head against his back.

"I think I can live with that.."

Soon enough, they pulled up outside of Asuna's townhome. Kazuto wheeled his bike to a stop behind her squad car and killed the engine. Asuna quickly dismounted and handed him his duster. He shrugged it on gratefully.

"I'll just be a minute," she told him, then turned and dashed up the stairs.

Kazuto watched her go with a bemused smile, silently mourning the loss of her in her evening dress. Letting his self-indulgence go, he glanced up and down the street; ever vigilant behind the mirrored glass of his visor. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a shadow flicker down an alley. He tensed, fingers creeping towards the built-in holster attached to the body of his bike.

"I said later, Liz!" Asuna called out over her shoulder, barging through the front door, making Kazuto jump and turn to look at her. His eyes flickered back to the alley, but saw no more movement. He begrudgingly took his hand away from his gun, disguising the movement by sweeping his arms up and taking his helmet off.

"All set?" he asked, faking a smile.

"Yeah, let's go."

"It just doesn't add up," Asuna sighed, leaning back in her office chair. "It's clear there's an agenda of some sort. The reports show the targets had some kind of tie to law enforcement: informants, ex-cops, witnesses in some trials. Always uses a knife, tons of blood and stab wounds, always leaves a messy scene. But no messages or ciphers in the blood?"

"I've combed over those pictures hundreds of times," Kazuto replied, gesturing to the stack of polaroids. "If there was a message in there, I would have seen it."

"And you've looked over the police records for the victims? No links there?"

"No dice. I've checked all assigned departments, all officer reports, disciplinary files, accolades- nothing in common. No former coworkers or places they were stationed out of either." Asuna leaned forward and propped her elbows up on the desk. She glanced up at the clock and put her face in her hands and sighed again.

"We've been at this for hours," she groaned. "It's obviously not going to be in the stuff everyone would think to check." Kazuto raised an eyebrow at her.

"What do you suggest, then?"

"Let's take it from the top, starting with the autopsy reports."

Kazuto turned in his seat opposite from her to grab the stack of papers from the small side table she kept in her office. He paused a moment as his eyes lingered on a picture of Asuna from the day of their graduation from the academy. She was smiling from ear to ear, dressed in her formal regalia, clinging onto her dour looking father. In the background of the picture, Kazuto could see an out-of-focus version of himself, looking back over his shoulder at the pair of them. He shook his head softly and handed her the papers.

"What are you hoping to find?" he asked.

"Something," she replied. "Anything." And as she looked, desperate for answers, she found it. "Hold on. Here, in the report. It says there looked to be acute oxygen deprivation to the brain?"

"Well yeah, but I thought the whole lack of oxygen to the brain thing would be brought on by all of the blood leaking out of the body's many stab wounds."

"Technically speaking, you're right, but the damage described here seems to be far too sudden to be from an attack like that. This seems a lot more consistent with damage from a drug overdose." Kazuto's eyes narrowed.

"But none of the victims were users. They couldn't be- no way the force would let them on or be affiliated. Plus nobody was let go for drug abuse." Asuna felt her stomach drop.

"Maybe they didn't have to be."

"What do you mean?"

"Were any toxicology tests run on any of the victims you found?" Kazuto shook his head.

"By the time we had a beat on what was going on, everything went to shit. Didn't think to run one on them." Asuna picked up the phone on her desk and punched in an extension number.

"Doctor- yes I know what time it is, I'm sorry to startle you. Listen, do you have those toxicology panels for the last few stiffs my guys brought in? Could you fax it up? Thanks." The printer in the corner whirred to life and screeched out another bundle of papers. She grabbed them, eyes scanning hungrily as she leafed through the pages.

"I knew it," she breathed. "There are traces of opiates in the bodies."

"You mean someone poisoned them?"

"You noticed how Sabato didn't have any defensive marks, right? What if the reason was that he couldn't defend himself?" Kazuto leaned back in his chair.

"So they used the drugs to render their targets defenseless, then just went to town with the knife."

"It seems pretty plausible," Asuna continued. "I have no idea what opiate would be strong enough to induce such a strong overdose reaction and leave such low traces in the bloodstream."

"Sylphenol."

"What?"

"Sylphenol," Kazuto repeated, his face hardening. "It was intended to be a hospital strength painkiller, but it never got approved by the Health Administration. Wasn't long before it found its way to the streets. Bodies started turning up stiff as boards with the needles still in their arms, but we couldn't figure out what was in them. Got lucky and happened to catch a junkie with the stuff on him."

"Why haven't I heard about it before?"

"Started right after you got assigned to Glocken. APD came down hard on all the dealers they found, so bodies stopped turning up so much. Dealers never flipped on their supplier though, so the department just destroyed whatever they could find. Eventually they declared it eradicated."

"Have you seen any related activity since then?"

"No, aside from the Coffin deaths, if we're counting those now." Asuna frowned and steepled her fingers.

"Then logic would follow that if nobody else is showing access, then Laughing Coffin has control over any remaining Sylphenol in the city. Otherwise, you'd still have dealers trying to sell."

"You're probably right," Kazuto grunted. "Drugs like that are hard to keep usable in the long term, though. You'd need a climate controlled area or container and those really aren't all that subtle. Where would it be kept?" Asuna's eyes slowly drifted over to the map of Aincrad hanging on one of the walls of her office.

"If you want to hide a tree," she said. "Hide it in a forest."

"I don't follow."

"Laughing Coffin knows that you and the police would be searching all over the city, looking for something to stand out. So, they probably put their base in the one place so heavy with crime and other stuff going on that a small oddity would get overlooked." Kazuto's head snapped up.

"The docks."

"Precisely. I'm guessing they're tucked away in one of the warehouses; it's out of the weather and a strange looking container wouldn't be out of place there."

Outside, thunder rumbled in the night sky.

"We're finally doing it," he whispered. Asuna picked up the phone.

"I'll let the Chief know. We can have the entire APD cordon the area off-" she paused as Kazuto's hand moved on top of hers, stopping her from dialing.

"They've been watching us," he said tensely. "If we bring the house down, Laughing Coffin will be gone before we even show up."

"Kirito, I know you've read all the autopsy reports. The difference in angle and depth of the stab wounds means there's multiple suspects."

"I've been outnumbered before."

"You're not going in alone." She felt his hand tense.

"Asuna, I-"

"I said you're not going in alone. That's because I'm coming with you. But if things go to hell, I'm calling every cop in the city in behind us." She stared into his eyes for a long moment, daring him to disagree. He closed his eyes, then nodded.

"Fine, I need to get some things out of the bags on my bike. I'll meet you at your car."

"If I hear that engine start up, I will shoot your tires out from this office window." Kazuto's lips turned up into a thin smile.

"Understood, Captain."

They rode south towards the docks in tense silence, the situation as heavy as the sheeting rain. After what seemed like forever, they pulled up outside of the barbed wire security gate that guarded the entrance to the docks' warehouse sector.

"Stay close, okay?" Asuna asked as they approached the first building. She glanced over at Kazuto.

He nodded solemnly as he flipped the cylinder on his revolver shut. Even through the rain, that metallic click sounded eerily heavy and loud to Asuna, like a heavy gate being slammed shut. They entered the first warehouse, but found nothing amiss in the neat, orderly rows of containers, as was the case for the second and third warehouses.

"This is taking too long," Kazuto growled as they exited the fourth warehouse. "All of the buildings by the gates are used too frequently. I say we make for the back of the yard where it's more likely they've put the long term storage." Asuna nodded and they passed the remaining buildings by, angling for the rear of the yard.

"Hold on Kirito," Asuna called. She gestured at the building ahead of them with the barrel of her gun. The entrance to the warehouse was barred shut with signage on the door saying the contents were awaiting further inspection by the harbormaster.

""Up there," Kazuto pointed. A ragged stack of worn wooden palettes lay piled up next to a nearby cargo container that butted up against the side of the building. A window near the roof was propped open. "Looks like our way in." He began to move towards the container.

"I've got a bad feeling about this, Kirito," Asuna called after him in a hushed voice. She quickly scanned the area around her, unable to shake the eerie sensation she was being followed.

Suddenly, she swore as she saw movement out of the corner of her eye and brought her gun to bear. A stray dog flinched at the bright light of her flashlight and scampered away into the darkness of the night. She released a shaky breath.

"Just a dog. Don't worry, Kirito." No reply came. "Kirito?" She looked upwards to the top of the container to find it devoid of any sign of him. "Damn it all." She scaled up to the window and clambered inside. Once her legs cleared the windowsill, she dropped a short distance and landed in a crouch on top of another container. She quickly brought her .38 up and swept it back and forth.

The dim cone of light from her flashlight illuminated the pitch black of the warehouse, revealing a haphazard maze of containers in various states of disrepair. The light also showed what looked to be Kirito's wet bootprints trailing down to the warehouse floor.

"Damn it all, Kirito, we were supposed to go in together," she whispered to herself angrily. She padded down, her breath and the rain loud in her ears as she followed the boot prints further and further into the darkness. The prints trailed on for a good while, making sudden cuts and doubling back on themselves at erratic points, gradually becoming lighter and lighter as they dried. Asuna's danger sense buzzed angrily in her head, making the adrenaline pulse through her system. Her eyes cut back and forth through the shadows.

Suddenly a flash of lightning lit the dim skylights of the warehouse and a teeth clattering clap of thunder followed right after, making her jump. However, what made her heart miss a beat is when she turned the corner to find Kazuto's boot prints were gone. In their place was a large pool of fresh blood. Her breathing became shaky as she inched closer, picking out smear marks on the nearby containers. Handprints dragged along the decrepit metal, splatters thrown on the rough cement floor, but most hauntingly, the swath of drag marks that lead into a patch of sheer darkness in front of the puddle.

Asuna heard a rustle of fabric behind her. She instinctively threw herself to the side and brought her gun up, finding three dark robed figures looming right behind where she had been. She squeezed her trigger twice, her .38 barking into the silent hell of that oppressive darkness. The lead figure stiffened, then crumpled to the floor as her shots found their mark. The remaining two split up, coming at her form either side.

Adrenaline flooded her system as she stepped back against the shipping containers, trying to set up as much distance as possible to get herself a clean shot.

They pressed her hard, drawing pipes from beneath the folds of their clothes. She squeezed off another round, but only managed to catch the one on the left in the arm before they fell on her. She ducked under a whistling swing of a pipe and brought the butt of her pistol down onto the temple of the leftmost attacker, clubbing him clean out. She cried out in pain as another pipe connected with her ribs, making her stagger back. She tried to set up in a shooting stance to line up another shot, but the remaining attacker stayed close, wielding the pipe like a quarterstaff, driving Asuna closer and closer to the darkness that lay beyond the pool of blood.

It was all Asuna could do to shield herself from the savage blows. Inch by inch, she was driven backwards towards the edge of the light. At the last minute, she was able to just skirt out of the way of an overhead blow from her opponent and swung her gun up. A faint whistling sound was the only warning she had before pain exploded in her jaw and she was thrown to the floor. Hazily, she could make out a second set of booted feet melting out of the shadows. Even as she lay woozily on the floor, what sent fear shooting down her spine was the fuzzy image of Kazuto's detective badge laying on the floor, dented and splattered in blood.

Asuna spluttered as ice-cold water washed over her head. She tried to sit up, but only managed to lurch herself partly upright as she found her hands and feet bound with thick rope.

"Ahhh, Captain Yuuki. At long last."

Asuna shuddered. The voice was cold and clinical, like the sound of scissors being shut. She looked up, blinking in the light. She knelt in a ragged circle of hooded figures in a sort of courtyard formed by storage containers in the warehouse. Her stomach dropped as her eyes swept around, counting the dark shapes. There had to be fifty of them, easily. She tested her bonds. No good, they were tight. Two more goons flanked her, evidently unconcerned with her chances of escaping. She looked back to the center of the circle.

A lone, hooded man sat in a simple wooden chair, lounging perfectly at ease as he smoked from a long stemmed pipe. He wore a cloak that appeared to be made from the same grungy material as all the others around her. His, however, had a faded grey strip of cloth that ran around the hem.

"So," Asuna said evenly. "You're Laughing Coffin." The figure regarded her with a bemused silence.

"No," he said, rising slowly. " _We_ are Laughing Coffin." A chorus of growls rose from the crowd around them. The figure waited a moment for the noise to die down, then slowly began walking a circle around his chair. "We are those who are deemed 'undesirable' simply because we do not value the tired and traditional status quo. We are the only ones who would stand against the tyranny of a broken system. A means for those who have been discounted. I am merely their guiding hand. You may call me...Shepherd."

"Wow, that's hardly conceited at all," Asuna snorted. The thug on her right kicked her on her bad side where the pipe had hit her, making her gasp.

"Stones and glass houses, Captain," Shepherd called out. "Don't pretend as though you don't enjoy your power."

"The difference-" Asuna grunted through gritted teeth "-is I don't abuse mine the way you do yours."

"Exactly as expected," Shepherd hissed, thundering over to her. "Because you enjoy the privilege of the benefits of enforcing the law, you are automatically right. How disappointingly typical of you, Captain." He squatted down in front of her. "Tell me Captain, can you honestly say that you're never seen any of your peers abuse their authority?" She stared into the darkness under the hood where his eyes should have been, then looked away, sullen. "That's what I thought. Corruption occurs within the very halls you so proudly walk every day. People killed without proper trial; gunned down in the name of justice." He leaned in closer. "Even your own partner is guilty." Asuna's head snapped up at that.

"What are you talking about?" He stood, chuckling to himself.

"Oh, you mean you don't know? How precious." He slowly resumed his circuit around the circle. "When you were assigned to be captain of APD, I assume you were given a report on crime in the city. A little something to help you brace yourself before your dove headfirst into this little hole in hell. Do share with me, what was at the top of your threat list?"

"Organized crime," she replied suspiciously

"And how exactly did you manage to handle the problem so efficiently?"

"Increased patrols. More stakeouts. Increased informant protection. Drug sting operations. We utilized every method-"

"How many of the crime leaders were killed?"

"Some were. Some criminals would rather die than be-" Shepherd waved his hand in a dismissive gesture.

"Oh no, not those. I'm talking about the ones that took care of themselves. The leaders that were killed by other leaders. The ones that just disappeared."

"What about them?" she asked, eyes narrowing.

"For shame, Captain. Really, can't you see it? Did you think the pressure you were exerting on the criminal underworld was enough to make them turn on each other like that? To just make them give it all up?" He made his way around the circle and squatted down in front of her again, his head cocked to one side. "You may be the light in Aincrad, but every light has its shadow." Asuna rocked back, blinking in shock.

 _Kirito wouldn't…._ She remembered how hurt he looked in that dark office, surrounded by the desks and memories of his dead friends. _...Would he?_

"When it comes down to it, we are the same. You just wear a badge."

"Wrong," she murmured, her mind still reeling. "We're protecting people, we're changing things for the better from the inside. You're just killing people."

"Ahhhh, but we _are_ changing things, Captain. Just in a more...direct way." Shepherd rose and strolled back to his chair. "Each of our targets has been corrupting your precious "order". The first few were some informants who'd pinned the blame on the wrong people. The next were some witnesses who lied under oath. And the latest one? No more than a hired gun who'd gone into hiding because he'd flipped on his politician handlers. So you see," he continued as he returned to his chair. "All would have simply been swept under the rug without justice if it wasn't for us."

"What you did to those people wasn't justice," Asuna spat. "It was sick."

"I do believe that would depend on who you ask," Shepherd replied coolly. "If you really look at it, the justice you speak of let our organization run rampant through the city for quite some time. Granted, we weren't vying for your attention at first, but even when we did change, it took you oh so long. So long, in fact, that we almost ran out of our supply of Sylphenol."

He clicked his fingers and a member of the crowd hurried over to him, holding a plastic case. He took it and flipped the latches open, popping the top of the case off. From it, he produced a shiny metallic pistol with a wide barrel and a small dart that ended in a bright red plume of feathers.

"Almost," he crooned. He held the two items in either hand, raising them up as if making a sacred offering while everyone looked in awed silence.

Behind her, Asuna heard a shuffle of feet as one of the hooded figures approached the guard to her right.

"No sign of the other one. All we found was Brother Sampson's knife," the voice whispered.

"No matter!" Shepherd called out, jerking Asuna's attention back to the center of the circle. "Our business is nearly finished here."

"You're a fool, Shepherd," she shouted, making sure her voice was audible enough for everyone to hear. "He's going to be back here with reinforcements; more than enough to bring you all down." From the depths of Shepherd's hood, she saw his mouth break into a crooked toothed grin.

"I don't think he will. After all, we have you." Ice began forming in Asuna's veins as Shepherd slowly began to load the dart gun. "Tell me, Captain. Do you know the only thing more dangerous than a man who has lost everything he ever cared about?" He snapped the barrel shut. "A man who's going to lose it all again."

"No," she breathed.

"Ah, so you understand. Like I said, where the light goes, the shadow follows. And when you extinguish the light? Darkness reigns." He thumbed back the hammer and stood. "After you die, Detective Kirigaya will become little more than a machine, hellbent on avenging you. He'll slowly grow more and more radical until the public can't stand it anymore and then he'll get put down. He may even do us a favor and do it himself. Aincrad's legendary protector will become an infamous reminder that the police do little more than serve their own interests and should be accordingly abolished." Asuna's pulse hammered in her ears as Shepherd raised the gun and aimed it right at her heart. "Thank you for your service, Captain." He pulled the trigger.

Asuna closed her eyes. She wasn't proud of it, but the terror in her stomach was too fierce. However, even as she squeezed her eyes shut, she heard a quick series of noises.

The faint flap of leather in a breeze.

The solid _chok!_ of the dart leaving the barrel.

A solid _thunk_ from directly in front of her.

And lastly, the sound of everyone in the warehouse inhaling sharply.

She opened her eyes.

Kazuto knelt in front of her, breathing shallowly. A slash above his brow covered half of his face in a bright sheet of blood. His eyes looked harder than she'd ever seen before as his head swiveled around the courtyard, taking in the situation. What made her heart jump into her throat, though, was the small silver dart buried into the side of his neck, just in front of where her heart should have been.

"No", she breathed again. "Why?" His eyes paused on hers, then softened by a fraction.

"I couldn't protect them," he answered simply. "And I'd rather die than not protect you." He kissed her on the forehead. "It's going to be okay, I promise." He stood up and slowly walked towards Shepherd, stopping a few paces away. "Surrender," he called out to the crowd. "I have been authorized to use deadly force."

"He must be losing his grip on reality with that drug killing him!" a voice laughed from the crowd. One of the shambling figures broke free from the mass, drawing a knife from his robes. "I think I'll do him a favor and just kill him no-"

Kazuto's revolver roared and the man's knee exploded, toppling him mid stride and painting the floor crimson. The warehouse fell silent save for the man's pained screams. Kazuto's revolver barked again and the killer's head jerked backwards in another shower of scarlet. The warehouse fell silent again.

"Hollow point rounds," Shepherd commented nonchalantly. "Designed to split apart and do as much damage as possible to their target. Outlawed by the government some time ago."

Kazuto said nothing as he reached up with his free hand and removed the dart from his neck. He threw it on the floor and crushed it under the heel of his boot.

"I must commend you on foiling my initial plan, " Shepherd continued. "However, you must realize that even with the Sylphenol gone, when the news gets out that APD's captain and her partner were found dead in a warehouse and were involved in the cover-up of several murders, our mission will be completed either way." Kazuto slowly reached into a pocket on his duster and replaced the two spent shells in his revolver's cylinder.

"Can't complete your mission if you're dead," he grunted.

"You and your six shooter are going to take down all of us?" Shepherd laughed. "I think someone's been reading too much of his own press!" Cruel laughter echoed from the throng around them. "I know you can feel it, Detective. The drug in your veins. I don't know how you haven't gone into arrest yet, but it won't be long now. Make it easier on yourself. Lay down and die." Kazuto didn't reply, he just thumbed back the hammer on his revolver.

Asuna's heart hammered in her chest as she heard the rasp of leather on steel echoed dozens of times around her as everyone drew knives. She thrashed against her bindings, toppling over as she struggled to break free.

"Very well. We'll do it your way, then." Shepherd said and flicked his hand. They charged Kazuto all at once.

"No!" Asuna screamed, swinging her feet in a wide arc, managing to trip a few of the killers as they streamed past her. One hit the ground hard and his knife spilled out of his grip to the floor at her feet.. She wasted no time in diving for it, scrabbling at the handle with her hands still bound behind her. She managed to get a hold of it and deftly swiped it at her bonds, She scrambled to her feet and plunged the knife into the back of the downed attacker twice, then whipped around to look for Kazuto. The tide of enemies raced towards him as he stood perfectly still in the center of the courtyard. They closed in. A hundred feet. Seventy five. Fifty. Then Kazuto lifted his eyes and Asuna saw the Shadow unleashed.

He snapped his .44 up in one hand and pulled the trigger in quick, smooth, and steady rhythm. Every shot found its mark in a hooded head. Asuna gasped at the ice cold ruthlessness she was witnessing. His face was not the burning fire of bravado and chaos she'd seen all those years ago at the academy. This in front of her was a sub-zero, emotionless, perfect killing machine. Frigid wrath rolled off of him like a palpable fog as his face was frozen into a malicious mask. His eyes…. Asuna felt a chill run down her spine. They were hard and flat, devoid of any sign of humanity.

The members of Laughing Coffin faltered in their advance, at least until they heard his revolver click onto an empty chamber. A slim built form took the opening, rushing forward while raising a long, wicked knife for the killing blow.

Kazuto brought his other arm up in one fluid motion and a monstrous roar made everybody flinch. Smoke trailed from the barrel of a massive black revolver in Kazuto's other hand. In the pause of everyone taking in this new development, he flipped open the cylinder of his .44 and swept it across his belt, making the duster flare out. Asuna could see several speed clips hanging off of a tactical harness under the coat. He flicked his wrist and snapped the cylinder shut on a brand new set of rounds. The thunder doubled as he whirled around, decimating the crowd as his guns cracked off, one after the other.

Asuna's hand flew to her belt and snagged her walkie talkie, flipping it on. "All units!" she screamed into the receiver, ducking her head as a nearby Laughing Coffin member tried to silence her. "All units respond! 10-71! I repea-"

She broke off into a harsh cry as her opponent raised his knife and swung at her. She parried with her stolen blade, the steel shrieking in a shower of sparks. A vicious hiss tore the air just by her ear and impacted into the hooded face in a smack of cracking bone and wet spatters hitting the floor.

"-I repeat! All units! This is Captain Yuuki, location Omega 13!" Asuna's eyes flicked over to Kazuto, who'd resumed the fight immediately around him. "Please, everyone hurry! We need help!" She didn't wait for a reply as she suddenly heard something that made her heart skip a beat.

The booming had stopped. Kazuto's guns both clicked empty and the remaining members howled and charged him. Asuna gave a wordless cry and ran in after them, her knife clenched in her fist, desperate to protect him.

Kazuto hands never stopped moving. He quickly holstered his guns and drew a long black angular knife from a sheath on his belt. He waited in a defensive stance as the howling horde bore down on him. As Asuna ran to defend him, she dimly thought he looked somewhat like a cobra, with the tail of his duster flared out like that. And as the enemy fell on him, he struck like a cobra, too. Sparks flew as Kazuto parried frenzied stabs and redirected overzealous slashes, never giving an inch. Asuna's voice was raw in her throat as she screamed, cutting a path to him in a mindless frenzy. _Block. Stab. Riposte. Sidestep. Stab. Slash. Parry. Slash again._

Her knife passed through empty air and she had to catch herself to stop from toppling over. She stood in a ring of bodies that was centered on the middle of the clearing. She looked at her hands. They were dyed with blood that stained the sleeves of her uniform all the way up to her elbows. Her breathing was ragged in her ears. Over the sound of her labored gasps, she heard a faint gurgling off to her left. She turned to look.

Shepherd stood in front of Kazuto, weakly gripping the handle of a knife that protruded from Kazuto's shoulder. Kazuto looked into his hooded face unflinching as he held his knife completely still in Shepherd's throat.

"I'll see you in hell," Kazuto growled. He twisted his knife free and kicked Shepherd over in a bloody heap. Asuna rushed over to him, flinging her borrowed weapon down.

"Kirito!" She gently took his face into her hands. "You damned idiot," she scolded softly, running her thumb over the cut in his brow. "Hold on, we'll get you patched up in a minute. I need your belt to make a tourniquet. I can't tell if that knife's nicked your brachial artery with it still in you, but I'm not going to take any chances-" A gentle hand over hers made Asuna pause. She looked into his eyes. They were softer now, more at peace.

"It's no use, Asuna," he told her gently. "The Sylphenol is already in my system. I tried to delay it as long as I could by holding as still as possible, but it's no good."

"No!" Asuna choked, shaking her head. "Everyone is on their way! Paramedics will be here any minute! You just have to hold on!" His knees buckled.

"Not my call, I'm afraid," he grunted apologetically. Asuna gingerly lowered him to the floor of the warehouse.

"Please," she panted, eyes brimming with tears. "Please, Kirito, don't go." Her hands squeezed his until her knuckles turned white.

"Hey, hey, don't waste your tears on a shadow. Nobody will miss me when I'm gone."

"That's not true! Randy would miss you! That nurse at the hospital would miss you! Agil and everyone at the bar would miss you!" She pressed her face into his chest and sobbed. "I'd miss you!" Kazuto blinked a few tears from his eyes.

"Yeah," he said, his throat thick. "I'll miss you too."

"Don't go."

"Hey, you think we could've made it work?" Asuna looked up at him through bleary eyes.

"What?"

"Us. I know I'm impulsive, moody, and an insufferable ass at times, but I really think we could have had something."

"Yeah," she hiccuped. "Yeah, I think we could have."

"I'm sorry for rushing in again. I just wanted to protect you."

"I know, but you were supposed to let me protect you too."

"Lesson learned." He coughed weakly and grimaced. "Sorry."

"Don't be."

There were a few more moments of pained silence.

"Asuna, I love you." Asuna squeezed her eyes shut.

"Don't say it like that, you're making it sound like a goodbye."

"Sorry, just had to tell you," he whispered.

"That's so unfair," she sniffled.

"I know. You don't have to say it back. I just...had to tell you. Lost too many people...before I could tell them…" She nodded as she hiccuped sobs into his chest.

Exactly one minute later, Aincrad Police Department's SWAT team swarmed the warehouse, followed by Chief Heathcliffe himself and every available officer in the APD and a response team of medical workers. Inside, they found the captain of the police force, coated in blood, surrounded by bodies, and gently weeping over the still form of her partner.


End file.
